Newly-minted U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-07) took to the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday night and denounced the 2020 decision by Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure to not fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Five years ago, McClure issued Executive Order 20-28, which bans ICE from arresting criminal defendants within Northampton County unless a warrant is provided to the Sheriff or jail authorities.
McClure, a Democrat, said at the time that federal court precedent does give Northampton County the right to require ICE to show up with a warrant with a qualification.
“We respect the federal government’s need to enforce our immigration laws, but we also respect the need of people residing in the commonwealth to have due process,” McClure said.
Two weeks ago, a suspected Venezuelan gang member was arrested by ICE outside the Northampton County Prison in Easton. Luis Gualdron-Gualdron, “a citizen and national of Venezuela who previously entered the United States without inspection,” was taken into custody on Jan. 31 without incident near the prison shortly after an immigration detainer was not honored. He is accused of indecent assault on a minor in Bethlehem.
According to an ICE press release, “Gualdron is a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member and has a criminal record in Pennsylvania, including arrests for indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age and harassment. He will be detained in ERO custody without bond.”
“It is appalling that Northampton County refuses to fully cooperate with federal law enforcement when it comes to the apprehension of a violent criminal who is here in the country illegally,” said Mackenzie. “Northampton County needs to rescind the executive order that the current County Executive signed off on because it has now been shown to have directly put law enforcement officers and our community in harm’s way.”
A member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Mackenzie walked through the details of Gualdron’s case and outlined the lack of cooperation from Northampton County.
“Five years ago, in March 2020, the Northampton County Executive issued an executive order prohibiting county law enforcement from fully cooperating with ICE,” he said. “Because of the County Executive’s order, ICE was forced to arrest this violent criminal outside the prison.
“My office has spoken with ICE and they explained that allowing this violent criminal to leave prison rather than be arrested, while already detained, greatly increases the possibility for escape from capture,” he continued. “It increases the danger to law enforcement who must now make an arrest in an uncontrolled environment, and it puts the public in greater danger as this violent criminal has a greater chance of escaping.”
On the House floor, Mackenzie also cited an AP-NORC poll, conducted from January 9-13, 2025, that showed the public supports “deporting undocumented migrants convicted of a violent crime” by a margin of 83 to 6.
“The public knows what Northampton County did in this case was wrong and the overwhelming, bipartisan position is that federal law enforcement should be able to arrest and deport these violent criminals without any impediments,” said Mackenzie.
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