Editorial: Is Westmoreland County a sanctuary or not?

Is Westmoreland County a sanctuary for undocumented individuals?

It seems unlikely to anyone who knows much about the county’s politics.

Republicans make up just over 50% of the county’s 245,290 voters. That might be just over half, but it’s still 13% more than the Democrats. Unaffiliated and “other” voters who may have problems with the Republican Party but are still solidly conservative can be found in the remaining bloc of more than 30,000.

Immigration — and particularly immigration that skirts the law like illegal border crossings or overstaying a visa — is an important issue for Republican and like-minded voters. A Gallup poll last month had 90% of Republicans naming it a critical national threat, while 54% of independents said the same.

So how did Westmoreland with its almost uniform Republican leadership — except for Democrat Ted Kopas as the legally required minority party commissioner — become tagged as a “sanctuary county?” The term refers to a government entity that refuses to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.

Westmoreland commissioners are trying to shake off the label because they are taking flak for it and because they say it isn’t true. Kopas and Republican commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew agree the county notifies ICE when an undocumented immigrant is being held. Chew proposed a codification of that policy to make it clear.

The Center for Immigration Studies says it will pull Westmoreland from the list of 14 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties designated as sanctuaries if that happens.

The center should do that because documentation is important — both for immigrants and for a nonprofit organization that monitors and publicizes “sanctuary” communities.

If Westmoreland County is not a sanctuary county, it should not be identified as such. To do so is unfair to the county and its government. It is unfair to people who believe the issue to be so crucial to the nation’s security.

And it also is dangerous for the community and immigrants — documented or undocumented — to have the waters muddied with misinformation.