Weatherly Borough Council tabled action on a program that would allow local police to partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Council discussed the ICE 287 program, which would allow borough police to identify and process “removable aliens” with pending or active criminal charges, among other powers.

Councilman Gregory Walters said there are a lot of perks and benefits for local police departments, but there is ambiguity with overtime reimbursement, but it sounded like a reasonable program.

Councilman Vincent Cuddeford explained that local officers would need training, and they would be assisting the federal agency, which only has 10,000 agents nationwide.

“They’re trying to create a larger net,” he said, and it would allow local police authority to act in these situations. “It’s a sad situation that people of that status coming through town, get pulled over and our officers can’t do anything.

“It’s kind of ‘what’s the point of having police,” Cuddeford said. “I would like to go forward with it, because they can actually do their job.”

Councilwoman Traci Mengle said that the agreement from last summer didn’t allow for reimbursement of overtime or benefits, but under the Big, Beautiful Bill passing in 2026, that changed.

The program has good incentives, but the borough would also be on the hook if someone filed a lawsuit for racial profiling or violation of civil rights, Mengle cautioned.

“I think we have a wonderful police department here, and if they’re interested in it, I think it should be looked into, she said.

Councilman Joe Cyburt thought the borough should have someone come in to talk to them about the program so that they could make a better decision whether to participate.

Council members pointed out that Hazleton and West Hazleton are interested, and Nesquehoning is also looking into the program.

Mayor/Council President Mike Bellizia said that more communities are looking into the program, which requires 25 hours training for officers, and there is some funding for equipment for the borough.

However, the closest detention center is in Pike County, which is an hour and half away from Weatherly, Bellizia said.

“If we’re forced to take somebody to the detention center, it’s an hour and half out and an hour and a half back, and you know they’re not going to be there for five minutes,” he said of officers who would be out of the borough for a minimum of four hours.

“If we’re stretched thin on the police department, as it is already, we really can’t afford to send somebody off to do that,” Bellizia said.

Also, once the funds from the program are gone, the borough wouldn’t be getting any reimbursement back, Borough Manager Tracy Grover said.

Mengle then pointed out that the borough could opt out of the program for any reason, but if the funds ran out, the borough would have to fund the program.

Solicitor James Nanovic said he hadn’t heard much about the program, but read the agreement, which states that the borough pays for the training the agency provides.

“Then, there’s a possibility we can get substantial grants. Doesn’t mean you will, you can,” Nanovic said. “I think you also can say you don’t have to have all of your officers trained in this.

You can select the ones you want trained, but again it’s very open,” he said.

Council tabled any action until they could get more information and possibly have a special meeting to discuss it.