Upper Darby Township Council on Feb. 18, 2026, voted unanimously for a resolution that limits how closely local authorities work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The measure instructs township police not to participate in non-criminal immigration enforcement and was framed by councilmembers as a way to ease anxiety in a diverse community with a large immigrant population. The decision came after weeks of public pressure, including a student walkout and calls for investigations into recent ICE actions.
During Wednesday’s meeting, council members signed off on language that formally restricts contact with federal immigration agents, according to 6abc. The outlet reports that the policy explicitly tells local officers not to engage in non-criminal immigration enforcement.
Under the township’s stated guidance, Upper Darby does not take part in civil immigration enforcement and will continue to cooperate with lawfully issued criminal warrants, the municipality says. The township FAQ also notes that communication with ICE may need to go through the federal Freedom of Information Act and urges residents to use local services without fear, according to Upper Darby Township.
Student activism helped push the issue into the spotlight: hundreds of Upper Darby High School students walked out earlier this month to protest ICE operations and stand with immigrant classmates. 6abc reported that students chanted, “We just want justice and peace,” and that school officials hosted a forum beforehand to address safety.
Local leaders also pointed to specific incidents that helped drive the council’s action. Upper Darby Now reports that councilmembers and residents cited the January death of Parady La in ICE custody and quoted Council President Marion Minick saying, “our residents have been expressing utter fear, feeling terrorized.” The outlet notes that sustained community pressure helped push the resolution onto the council agenda.
The Upper Darby vote lands amid a broader wave of similar moves in the Philadelphia suburbs. Nearby Narberth’s council recently barred its police from assisting ICE, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, and officials in Bucks County voted on Feb. 18 to oppose using warehouses as ICE detention centers, according to Bucks County records. Taken together, the steps highlight growing municipal pushback to federal immigration tactics in the collar counties.
What the resolution does
The resolution’s language zeroes in on non-criminal, civil immigration actions. It instructs township police to decline requests that would effectively make them part of civil ICE enforcement and avoids authorizing any 287(g)-style partnerships. The township FAQ underscores that officers will still honor criminal warrants and court orders and encourages residents to keep calling 911 when needed, according to Upper Darby Township.
Legal limits and enforcement
Experts note that municipal resolutions can restrict how local agencies behave but cannot prevent federal agents from operating in a community. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that legal challenges are expected; one law expert told the paper, “No doubt this will be challenged,” and said courts may ultimately have to decide where local policy ends and federal authority begins.
What happens next
Councilmembers said the resolution will be followed by administrative steps and continued outreach to residents, while community groups are watching how the policy is put into practice. Upper Darby Now reports that officials are distributing multilingual FAQs and resources and that further updates will roll out through township channels as implementation moves forward.
