On Aug. 18, a full audience gathered as Slippery Rock Borough voted on a proposed DHS 287(g) agreement. Mayor Jondavid Longo originally presented the proposal. He said the agreement had the chance to provide resources and funding to the borough police.
A DHS 287(g) agreement is a formal partnership between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state or local law enforcement agencies. The program started in 1996 under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Under this agreement, local law enforcement agencies would receive free training and be eligible for other related grants.
As of 2026, the 287(g) agreement has three models: a jail enforcement model, a task force model and a warrant service officer model. Butler County Sheriff and other surrounding law enforcement agencies are entering partnerships under a task force model. Enrolling in a task force model provides officers with limited immigration authority during daily tasks such as interviewing individuals to determine citizenship and permission to access DHS databases. The task force model does have a rocky past, with two different DOJ investigations in 2011 and 2012 finding that law enforcement agencies had a pattern of constitutional violations after signing into the task force 287(g) agreement. This model was later shelved after an ICE policy memo stated that the resources would better be used elsewhere.
Slippery Rock Borough ultimately voted against the bill 4-3 on Aug. 18. Council members John Hicks, Jeff Campbell, Alex Tuten and Paul Leuken voted against the agreement, while Jennifer Ravert, Denton Zeronas and Lauren Christmann voted to sign into the partnership. Opposed council members expressed concerns that the agreement could cause unnecessary rifts in the community without providing much back.
At the following meeting, Councilman Paul Luken took time at the end of council to explain his position.
“This was not a vote out of fear…there was month and months of discussion that went into that decision,” Luken said. “I wholeheartedly support the deportation of undocumented criminals, people who commit crimes against US citizens, and are reaping the benefits of things in this country that they are not entitled to, but 287 is not as advertised. The money being waved around in front of everybody is only able to be used for the purchase of equipment used by officers during ICE events, not to be used by everyday officers.”
Luken explains that Slippery Rock Police Chief Terry Fedokovitz was against the agreement.
“The police chief was not in favor of this agreement, and said it did nothing to help the department and it was not worth the aggravation: his words to my ears. Why would I vote for something that our police chief is not in favor of?” Luken said.
Mayor Jondavid Longo, posted his comments on the vote to X the following day, writing the following:
“Last night, 4 members of Council rejected a 287(g) partnership with DHS that would have given our police department tools to identify and act on known criminals in our community. 3 voted in favor. I support that agreement, I still do. This was never about inviting ICE into our town…the purpose was more practical: to equip our officers so they could execute existing Department of Homeland Security warrants on dangerous individuals confirmed to be present in our area and targeting our youth, including students at Slippery Rock University…Last night (Aug. 18) we heard from individuals who framed a limited law-enforcement partnership as a threat to students and as evidence of discrimination. Opponents jeered at the legitimate residents and voters of the Borough who expressed support for the proposal. Some opponents even suggested violence if the agreement was passed in what I believe was a clear intimidation of Council.”
Longo restated his earlier stance; the money provided would be beneficial for Slippery Rock. He also expressed disappointment in the outcome.
“Our police require almost 2/3 of our total budget, the training, the database access, and the support offered by this agreement would have strengthen their ability to keep law-abiding resident and students safer without raising taxes,” Longo wrote. “I am extremely disappointed in the result, not because disagreement exists but because the facts were available the operational need is real and the consensus I was given was changed at the 11th hour out of fear.”
Multiple Slippery Rock University organizations, students and staff expressed their opinion at the meeting and online.
At the Aug 18. meeting, Alex Thompson, president of Slippery Rock University’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), vocalized his concerns regarding the vote and the consequences it may have for Slippery Rock Borough. Thompson expressed fears that immigrants living in country illegally may take recourses away from residents in an already under-equipped borough.
President Connor Pavlicko of the Slippery Rock University Student Government Association, explained in a press release his position regarding the 287(g).
“As a student of Slippery Rock University and a member of the community I am concerned for a plethora of reasons. There has been little discussion around the logistical factors that would justify why this agreement is need in this community,” Pavlicko said. “As president of SRSGA, I am working with the Slippery Rock Borough Council to help build and maintain the town and grown relationship between Slippery Rock students and the community. Additionally, we appreciate the hard work done by the borough law enforcement and their continued cooperation with campus police and Slippery Rock University. However, until documented evidence can be brought forward to ‘show the problems associated with similar agreements in our nation’ have been rectified, I do not believe that this contract is needed in this community.”
Associate professor at SRU, Michele Amodei, spoke during the Aug 18. meeting and expressed concerns over student safety if the agreement was to be signed. Amodei recalled a phone call one student made to her. They claimed to have been followed by ICE to campus after presenting ID.
Despite the negative vote, the topic of Slippery Rock’s 287(g) carried over into the Sept. 1 meeting.
Normal Ave. resident Liam Lin Bull started citizen input by addressing an alleged mass text message he received regarding the Borough Council meeting,
“Initially, I came to this meeting to get some clarification about the decision that was made last week on ALDRs.” Bull said. “But unfortunately, something came to light that was much more pressing…today, a friend of mine sent me a copy of a [text message] that was sent out to borough residents. I am going to read it just for the record today: ‘We need you now. Slippery Rock Borough refused to cooperate with ICE. Violent, illegal alien criminals are being arrested across Pennsylvania, but John Hicks, Jeff Campbell, Paul Luken and Alex Tuten voted to allow Slippery Rock to be a sanctuary,’ the message goes on…”
Resident Jonthan Foust used his time to ask Mayor Longo to condemn the alleged text messages and harassment.
Longo replied that the council members’ information is public.
Township resident James Puryear also commented on the alleged text message.
“I also got the text. It wasn’t anything misinformed or harmful,” Puryear said.
Council responded by stating that Butler County is under the 287(g) agreement, and assured that Slippery Rock Borough would remain status quo.
Rebecca Lubold also brought up concerns over the backlash regarding the vote and the image it portrays for the Slippery Rock community,
“Council member Tuton had described her concerns, both before and after the vote, about the potential for the agreement to further contribute to the political division in our community. Have you seen what is being said and heard?” Lubold said. “And what is being commented and posted on social media? This is happening. Angry accusations, posting of misleading information, rude name calling and degrading of responders is rampant among people who have differing views, both in support of and in opposition to the issue. This is not how we want to be known as a community.”
Other residents in attendance, such as Linda Burns of Water Street and Kurt Pitluag of Normal Ave., also discussed concerns over comments made to social media and displayed a desire to move past the agreement.
Borough resident Bryan Whitby also expressed his disappointment in the Borough Council.
“I am extremely disappointed with the fact that [the Bourgh Council has] the willingness to aide and imbed illegal criminals and have succumbed to non-resident pressure,” Whitby said.
Whitby then displayed his immigration paperwork.
“Those of use who come here legally get this document,” he continued. “You have no idea what those of us who are legal immigrants have gone through. Most of you were born here as citizens, and you take this great country for granted…God forbid any of your friends or family, or my friends or family, just by chance get assaulted by some transient, illegal alien coming through our town. How’s that gonna make you feel?”
During councilperson’s remarks, councilwoman Alex Tutchen spoke on the last meeting, the controversy surrounding the agreement and the political strife it was causing within the community,
“I believe the political process worked [beautifully] last week. Usually, a vote out of fear, everyone would vote the same way, right? But because everyone has to have confidence with their decision, they voted very bravely against, maybe the person that’s sitting next to them,” Tutchen said. “We did our homework, we listened, we learned and then we had a vote. We voted for what we thought was best for our community, our constituents according to our own conscience. It’s not going to be the same for everyone…not all of us have to feel the same on issues, and it’s wonderful because we can learn from each other…this is a job we take seriously, and now we are all going out in the hallway and were going to shake hands, and we’ll be community.”
Tuten concluded with sharing her personal experience after the vote.
“People would mail their congressmen, saying ‘this is how you should vote on a bill and why,’ it wasn’t an email that I opened up with a hand giving me middle finger. That tells me nothing,” Tuten said.
“This rhetoric doesn’t teach anything,” Tuten added. “No one learns and no one listens…don’t waste air on it, don’t waste time on it, it does nothing but create hate and anger.”
Before council could adjourn, business owner Tim Mickle stood to speak on the 287(g) agreement, but Chair John Hick called for order. Hicks requested Mickle to sign up to speak at the next meeting.
Mayor Longo addressed Hicks, stating that he believed that this was unfair. Longo claimed the council was biased to one side of speakers. Hicks stated that the meeting had moved past public input and council remarks.
“You’re not on their side, so you’re not allowed to speak,” Longo said. “I mean, we let people that didn’t sign up to speak, you let them go over three minutes…this is outrageous.”
Mayor Longo and Chair Hicks entered into a heated exchange that ended when council entered executive session.
wow this is really good! pogchamps! W!