Dauphin County Commissioners will vote on a resolution limiting employee communication with federal immigration officials.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Dauphin County Commissioners are set to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would limit county employees’ communication with federal immigration officials, a measure supporters say will make the county more welcoming and protect immigrant residents.

On Tuesday evening, community groups gathered outside the County Administration Building in Harrisburg, rallying in favor of the so-called “Welcoming County Resolution.” 

The resolution would create rules restricting how county employees, including local law enforcement, prison and probation officers and court officials, can work with federal immigration authorities.

“This limits our relationships with federal immigration authorities and creates some structure and rules around what ways in which our county can and should collaborate with them — or should not collaborate with them,” said Kariem Morssy of the Dauphin County Bail Fund.

According to Morssy, nearly half of the county’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainments in 2025 stemmed from referrals by prisons or probation offices. He said county officials are not required to support federal enforcement outside of a warrant, but, in many cases, communication has gone further than necessary.

“What we’re seeing is abuses of existing immigration law in our county going beyond its mandate to support federal immigration enforcement,” Morssy said. “The possibility really puts a lot of fear in our immigrant community. That vulnerability weakens our economy, lowers our population and creates an unwelcoming environment.”

Supporters of the measure argue that the Welcoming County Resolution is designed to address those concerns.

“We need to do better as a country,” said Dom Holmes, another community member at Tuesday’s rally. “If we want to talk about strong borders and protecting our communities, maybe that’s a conversation to have, but this is not the way. What we’re doing now is inhumane.”

FOX43 reached out to the Dauphin County Commissioners’ Office for comment but has not yet received a response. 

Commissioners will have the chance to address community concerns during Wednesday’s meeting, where many rally-goers said they plan to speak in support of the resolution.