Oakmont weighs ban on ICE agreements after arrest
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Oakmont officials are weighing a ban on formal agreements with federal immigration agents after ICE detained a local immigrant whose family and Pennsylvania officials say had legal status.
Why it matters: The detention of Jose Flores — taken outside his home last week while warming up his car for work, according to TribLive, which broke the story Friday — is pushing the small suburban borough into the national fight over how much local governments should assist ICE.
Catch up quick: Harriett Flores told TribLive her husband, Jose, was getting ready to leave for work Thursday when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents approached him outside their Oakmont home.
- She said the agents did not show a warrant and told him he was in the country illegally before placing him in an unmarked vehicle — an encounter she recorded in a short video obtained by the Trib.
- She said the couple arrived in the U.S. from Nicaragua in 2022 and have work visas and pending affirmative asylum cases.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
The latest: Borough manager Scott Fodi tells Axios that Oakmont borough councilors are considering a bill that would bar the borough from entering official agreements with federal immigration departments.
What they're saying: State Rep. Joe McAndrew (D-Penn Hills) tells Axios it's unacceptable that Jose Flores was taken out of the community when he was following the procedure of assimilation and immigrating "the right way."
- "He has his work visa, he is going through his asylum process, he is a good-standing member of the community," McAndrew said.
- The borough received an outpouring of emails from community members supporting Flores, said Fodi.
Between the lines: An Axios Pittsburgh search of state and federal databases showed no criminal history for Flores as of Monday afternoon.
- McAndrew said Flores was being held at the Northern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility near Moundsville, West Virginia.
- Immigration lawyers assisting the family did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: Southwestern Pennsylvania hasn't seen the high-profile ICE surges that have hit cities like Minneapolis, but the Pittsburgh region saw at least 948 immigration-related arrests from January through mid-October 2025 — more than triple the year prior, per Public Source.
- President Trump's national immigration crackdown is still hitting the region — hardest in suburban boroughs and in counties and municipalities that partner with ICE via 287(g) agreements.
- City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County law enforcement do not cooperate with federal immigration officials, but it's unclear how many suburban municipalities follow suit.
A community-led fundraiser to help the Flores family had raised more than $65,000 as of Monday afternoon to help cover legal fees and basic living expenses.
What's next: Councilors will meet Tuesday to discuss the matter and may vote on the ban later this week, said Fodi.