Mount Carmel Police Conduct First Immigration-Related Arrests Under 287(g) Program
Mount Carmel Borough Police have reportedly completed the first publicly known arrests connected to the federal government’s 287(g) program. In two separate incidents, officers apprehended three men and subsequently handed them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The first incident took place on July 10, when officers encountered Segundo Gabriel Bueno Guanoquiza, 48, near the police station. Upon checking his records and consulting with ICE, it was determined that Guanoquiza was residing in the United States without legal authorization. Following this assessment, he was taken into custody under the department’s 287(g) authority and transferred to ICE.
The following day, July 11, officers stopped a gray Ram 2500 on Merriam Highway due to a lane violation. After reviewing the vehicle’s information and consulting with ICE, they discovered that both occupants, 49-year-old Davit Kederashvili and 41-year-old Mikheil Chikladze, were also in the country illegally. While Chikladze received a written warning for the traffic violation, both men were detained under the 287(g) authority and turned over to ICE.
These arrests occurred shortly after the Mount Carmel Borough Police joined the federal 287(g) program, which permits trained local police officers to perform specific immigration functions under ICE supervision. Depending on the agreement’s scope, officers may inquire about a person’s immigration status, issue administrative warrants, and detain individuals for transfer to federal immigration authorities.
Mount Carmel Borough is among a growing number of law enforcement agencies in Northeastern Pennsylvania participating in this program. Earlier this year, both the Frackville Borough Police Department and the Mount Carmel Township Police Department entered into similar 287(g) agreements with ICE. Other local participants include police departments in Hazleton, Mahanoy Township, Wyoming County, and several sheriff’s offices in the region.
Law enforcement agencies have already begun to publicize immigration-related arrests. Mahanoy County Police recently reported that two individuals identified during a commercial vehicle enforcement operation had been found to be in the country illegally and were subsequently transferred to federal authorities.
Advocates of the 287(g) program contend that it fosters collaboration between local and federal law enforcement, thereby facilitating the removal of unauthorized individuals from the community, particularly those involved in criminal activity. Conversely, critics express concerns that the program might undermine trust between immigrant communities and local police, raising issues of racial profiling and the appropriation of local resources for federal immigration enforcement.
The recent case in Mount Carmel stands out as the first publicly acknowledged arrest under the 287(g) agreement since the department’s participation commenced earlier this year. Local departments in Northumberland and Montour counties that currently have active 287(g) agreements with ICE include Mount Carmel Township, the City of Shamokin, Mahoning Township, and the Montour County Sheriff’s Office.
