by Kate Shunney
Washington County’s Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution at their February 10 public meeting expressing “full support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and local law enforcement agencies.”
Recordings of the public meeting capture loud objections in chambers to the resolution and recent ICE activities elsewhere, causing a pause in the commission meeting.
“The resolution recognizes DHS and ICE for safeguarding the nation’s borders and enforcing immigration laws, and acknowledges local law enforcement for maintaining public order, responding to emergencies, and treating residents with dignity and compassion,” said county officials in sharing their resolution adoption.
The move came on the heels of an announcement that the federal government has purchased a Williamsport warehouse for more than $100 million to be used as a detention center under a planned major expansion of centers across the United States to hold people detained by the Immigration agency. 
According to federal agency documents related to this expansion, private prison companies will be paid to operate these facilities. Individuals taken by ICE from their communities or jobs are to be held, under U.S. law, in civil detention facilities, since violation of immigration laws are civil offenses not crimes.
Some county officials had made public statements that Washington County has no oversight power in relation to the use of land or facilities purchased by federal agencies, including change of use or zoning issues the county would normally regulate with private commercial entities.
Commissioners last week “pledged not to use their elected positions to oppose or hinder these agencies,” and they “emphasized the importance of federal and local cooperation to ensure the safety and security of all citizens and legal residents,” said a commission spokesperson.
Washington County’s Republican Committee came out with their own statement in support of the county resolution.
“It is our understanding that the Washington County Board of County Commissioners were not consulted in the sale of the Hopewell Road warehouse, and that the sale of the vacant warehouse was a private land sale between the owners of the property and the Federal Government that occurred without coordination or approvals by Washington County,” said GOP committee members.
In their statement, they claim that the removal of undocumented residents from the county “some of whom are violent and criminals, reduces crime in our community.”
“The Washington County Republican Central Committee supports all the citizens and legal residents of Washington County. We will demand lawful and humane care and processing of illegal immigrant detainees should the Hopewell Road facility become operational,” the party said in their statement.
An ICE spokesperson is reported by CBS News to have said, in response to questions about the Washington County facility plans, “While we cannot get into contract specifics, Secretary Noem has stated that she is willing to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history.”
