Clarion County is no longer listed as a “sanctuary county” by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based “independent, non-partisan, nonprofit, research organization” founded in 1985.
Clarion County Commissioner Wayne Brosius, a member of the jail board, said the listing was due to a change in Jail Board Policy regarding the handing of illegal aliens. He said the only thing that got the county on the list was a policy at the jail.
Commissioner Ted Tharan said that in 2008, when ICE agents or the State Police would pull over illegal aliens they would bring them to the Clarion County jail until documentation was verified.
The story was initially reported on Fox News setting off numerous inquiries from county residents about the county’s status.
White asked what the plan would be if the change to the policy did not meet the requirements of the CIS. “I don’t want to be a sanctuary county or anything like that but my concern is that this group has no authority over us at all,” he said. “If they set one foot into Clarion they would know we aren’t a sanctuary county. What’s next after this?”
“Sometimes perception is more than reality,” said Brosius.
Common Pleas Judge Sara Seidle-Patton said she had no problem with the addition to the policy. She noted there were no other changes to the policy.
Following an executive session, the board voted 5-1 in favor of changing the policy. White voted no. He said he did not feel it was appropriate for the county to change policy based “on an organization in D.C. that has no authority at all.”
White said the board would begin a review of certain jail policies.
According to the CIS, sanctuary counties in Pennsylvania include Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Clarion, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Lehigh, Lycoming, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Philadelphia and Westmoreland counties.
The board voted to promote veteran Corrections Officer Sherry Yates to Deputy Warden based on the warden’s recommendation. The motion passed 5-1 with Tharan voting no. He said he was not certain Yates was the best candidate. The Clarion County Salary Board will address the question of salary for Yates.