Beitler on ICE: Two Things Can Be True

When seeking truth, two things can be true at the same time.

Yes, folks can and should have real concerns about how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates in American cities right now. And yes, it can still be a mistake to cut off a successful relationship between county government and federal law enforcement that helped combat human trafficking and other serious crimes in Lehigh County.

I share concerns about due process, reduced training and recruitment standards, and a sense that enforcement is not focused on those with serious criminal records. Recent reporting shows training for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has been shortened, with recruits completing less instruction than in the past and many struggling with basic standards or being placed into field roles before full training was finished. Law enforcement training experts outside the agency have raised questions about preparedness and use of force protocols. I think most agree law enforcement should be held to the highest standards. These issues deserve serious discussion and stronger policies to protect civil rights, including the rights of American citizens who could be falsely accused. But turning a lease decision into a claim that all cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security harmfully oversimplifies a complex picture.

What also is true is that intergovernmental partnerships with DHS have helped our local community confront the brutal reality of human trafficking, a serious and ongoing problem in our region that preys on vulnerable people and destroys lives. Our geography makes us particularly vulnerable. The question should be about local realities. Reality is, there is no local evidence that HSI here has operated outside its criminal investigative function from this county office. What got lost in the politics is the real work happening here at home. The human trafficking task force in Lehigh County, created under an agreement unanimously approved by a bipartisan board, brought together local law enforcement, medical professionals, social service providers and federal investigators to target traffickers while supporting survivors. After a very political press event led to a rushed decision to evict the investigators, I heard directly from survivors, nurses, advocates and local law enforcement about how critical the partnership has been. Real cases and real lives were protected because agencies worked together.

Counties are not immigration policy makers. We are service providers. Our job is to protect residents, support victims and keep our communities safe. That means setting clear local boundaries on how county resources are used, being transparent with the public and, when needed, holding partners accountable. It does not mean dismantling partnerships that work because national politics are heated. When we shift into politics over objectivity we weaken our ability to focus on the core responsibilities our residents rely on us to deliver.

It’s important to understand. DHS includes many different functions. For example, airport security through TSA. We would certainly not suggest evicting TSA from LVIA over immigration policy disputes. The same principle of distinguishing roles should apply to all federal partnerships. Put yourself in the shoes of a victim of trafficking and ask what makes you safer, political theater or maintaining real investigative resources?

Leadership should not make unilateral decisions without engaging stakeholders. Unfortunately, I believe that happened here. Conversely, I’ve learned through conversations with local service providers that victims do not report crimes directly to federal agencies. They come through hospitals, shelters, advocates and local police first. Federal partners are brought in later when cases require broader investigative tools that local agencies alone do not have. My perspective comes from listening to the people who work closest to victims and who see the consequences of hasty decisions in real time. The consistent theme I heard was not about politics, but about making sure survivors continue to have safe entry points and that frontline workers have access to the tools needed to stop traffickers. Claims that victims will not seek help because of federal perception overlook how victims actually enter the system and how investigations work in practice.

To the survivors who have reached out, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, nonprofit leaders I’ve spoken with, and others now working with one less important tool, I am sincerely sorry that county leadership has failed you.

Two things can be true at once. Effective local governance should not be about headlines or national political battles. Here at home? It should be about objectivity. Yes, we can and should demand accountability, insist on due process and set firm local guardrails. But we can do this without weakening known partnerships that protect victims of trafficking and other serious crimes. We should set limits without breaking the tools that protect the most vulnerable. We should talk to stakeholders before holding press conferences. Ending this partnership does not change federal immigration policy, but it does change whether local investigators, medical providers and survivor advocates have access to the tools they were using to go after traffickers. That is what responsible local government looks like, and it requires an independent, nonpartisan, fact driven perspective focused on outcomes, not party lines.

Ron Beitler is an Independent Lehigh County Commissioner.

Prominent Area Attorney Stan Margle Jailed Over Refusal to Provide Drug Testing Sample

Noted Easton area attorney Stanley Margle, as of this moment, is a resident of Northampton County jail. He was scheduled to provide a drug testing sample to the pre-trial office yesterday. He appeared but was unwilling to comply with his bail conditions, which require him to submit to periodic drug testing. He has refused to do so since October 7, 2025

Senior Judge William Mahon, a Chester County jurist brought in to hear Margle's case, is not playing. Late yesterday morning, he ordered Margle to provide a sample or be jailed 

At a 2 pm bail hearing, Margle was sentenced to 30-60 days. I do not have that Order but his docket sheet shows that he has definitely been jailed.  

Margle is still Wilson Borough Solicitor, at least as of its January reorganization meeting. At a hearing with NorCo Council in which he advocated for a tax break to convert the vacant Dixie Cup factory into luxury apartments, he actually argued with a Council member (Kevin Lott) who supported the TIF.  

Margle currently is facing drug charges in two separate incidents at the courthouse. In both cases, he forgot a satchel that contained either cocaine or drug paraphernalia. 

No disciplinary charges have yet been lodged against Margle by the Pa Disciplinary Board

Federal Court Dismisses Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed by NorCo's Former Custody Master

Yesterday, I told you that a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by former Northampton County Custody Master Lisa Tresslar had been put on hold by District Court Judge John Gallagher. I saw that as a sign that the parties were working on a settlement of Tresslar's claim of first amendment retaliation. I was wrong. Judge Gallagher apparently stayed the matter because he had heard enough. Yesterday, he granted a motion of summary judgment in favor of President Judge Craig Dally and Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and against Tresslar. Her claim has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it's over for her. 

Tresslar served as NorCo's first ever full-time Custody Master between 2014 and 2023. She had been Judge Michael Koury's Clerk and was lured into the role by then President Judge Steve Baratta. During her time as Custody Master, Tresslar became deeply concerned about proposed changes in custody guidelines. She believed they would force families to agree to settle custody disputes without vital evidence being heard by the courts that could endanger children. She voiced these concerns to President Judge Dally. She spoke in opposition to these changes at a meeting of the NorCo Bar association family law committee, although she claims she did that in her capacity as a citizen and not as Custody Master. She also spoke to investigators who were reviewing claims of judicial misconduct filed against two jurists. 

Notwithstanding Tresslar's opposition to these changes, new custody guidelines were eventually imposed. In addition, Tresslar's role was reduced. She lost her supervisory power, and she was placed under a part-time custody master. Her workload was changed, and she resigned.

Without even reaching the question whether she suffered retaliatory behavior, Judge Gallagher concluded that her lawsuit must fail because her speech would only be protected if it was in her capacity as a private citizen, and not as a custody master. Moreover, even assuming that she could establish that her complaints about revised custody guidelines were made in her capacity as a private citizen, she never established that anyone on Northampton County's bench knew of them. 

So ends a case with many twists and turns and the discovery that Tresslar may have played favorites with at least one attorney, Stan Margle. He was once her own attorney in her own custody battle, and discovery revealed several inappropriate text messages from Tresslar in which she appears to advise him on strategy and demeans another attorney opposing him.   

You can read Judge Gallagher's opinion below. 

Summary Judgment Against Tresslar in Federal Case by BernieOHare

UPDATED: ICEOUT Receives FOUR Unconfirmed ICE Observations in Easton Area

ICEOUT is a nationwide map through which people can report ICE observations in their community. It is maintained by People Over Papers, a 501c3 nonprofit. 

The map includes an unconfirmed report that ICE was observed at the Easton Recreation Office, 123 S 3rd St, Easton, PA at 1:47 pm. The report indicates that 15 agents in 5 or more cars were there. Another unconfirmed report, including a photo, indicates that ICE was seen outside the vacant LA Fitness Center in Wilson Borough on January 31 at 1:30 PM. Two vehicles and about 5 agents are spotted. A third unconfirmed report indicates four vehicles were spotted the same day at 10 am at 2403 Butler Street in Wilson Borough. 

UPDATED 2:20 PM: A fourth unconfirmed observation of ICE as made at Easton's Centre Square (which is a circle) today at 10 am. Five cars observed. 

NorCo Council Lawsuit Over Audio Visual Upgrades Still Pending

Back in October, Northampton County Council sued former Executive Lamont McClure over audio and visual upgrades to County Council's meeting room. Ron Heckman, a former Council member, was participating in meetings remotely and routinely complained that he was unable to hear or see what was happening. When he would speak at meetings, his voice would often cut off, and no one could hear him. It was suggested that he might be responsible himself for his technical difficulties, but he insisted that this was a systemic problem that the Executive branch chose to ignore. 

Northampton County Council actually adopted an Ordinance for these upgrades in late 2023. According to the terms of this Ordinance, the upgrades were to be completed by June 2024. Then Exec McClure vetoed the Ordinance, but the only Council member who voted to sustain that veto was then Council member (and now Executive) Tara Zrinski. 

The total cost of these upgrades is unknown but is well within County Council's contingency fund. 

With the recent election and inauguration of Tara Zrinski as Exec, I thought County Council and the Exec would reach some sort of agreement. But instead, the matter is currently in the hands of Northampton County Court. The County Exec maintains that a complaint for Declaratory Judgment is an improper form of action. I personally think a Mandamus action is probably more appropriate but am unsure whether the court wishes to exalt procedure over substance. 

Former NorCo Custody Master's Suit Against Court Has Been Stayed

Federal District Court Judge John Gallagher has stayed the lawsuit that Northampton County's former Custody Master, Lisa Tresslar, has filed against Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and President Judge Craig Dally. His Order, filed on January 13, is at the request of both sides. 

In her action, Tresslar maintains that she is the victim of retaliatory action for exercising her first amendment rights concerning major changes imposed by the court in the way that custody cases are handled. The court has denied any retaliatory act and adds that that it is in any event imbued with legislative immunity because the changes to procedure were a matter of court rules adopted by the judiciary. 

Both sides previously have filed Motions for Summary Judgment, which were argued in December.

A stay of this sort is often an indication that the parties are attempting to settle their differences. 

Shapiro Is Running For President

I've always loved Katie Couric. She reminds me of former NorCo Council member Peg Ferarro. Both are very gracious. Both know a lot more than they pretend to know. I've always enjoyed the way Couric interviews people. She's very disarming but manages to ask very tough questions disguised as softballs. 

Earlier this week, she interviewed Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro. His tell that he's running for President is that he has just published a book about himself, I haven't read it but doubt very much that it is "the short and simple annals of the poor" that Abraham mentioned when asked about his life. Shapiro is a career politician. 

During the course of the interview, Katie suggested that he might have been annoyed at being called overconfident about being selected as VP, even to the point of "measuring the drapes" before a decision had been made. "That would bug the shot out of me," she said, making it seem like she was on his side while getting a response on whether he really is overconfident. 

Then after telling him how popular he is in Pennsylvania, she added, "I guess some of your fellow Democrats in the state have not been that flattering when they talk about you. One state official said, you don't want to turn your back on him. Loyalty is not his strong suit. Now I need to add to that, this individual still insisted that you'd be a great president. But I wanted to give you a chance to respond. Why do you think some of your fellow Democrats apparently have some ambivalence about you? Do you think at times your ambition gets the better of you? Because that has been suggested."

Very nicely, she hit him with some very tough questions to which he had no real answer. 

I like Shapiro. He's a vast improvement over Wolf. I doubt very much that he'll be the Dem nominee. 

Sultana Is Definitely Challenging Boscola in Pa. Senate Primary

Earlier this month, I suggested both here and here, that former Easton City Council member Taiba Sultana would primary State Senator Lisa Boscola. Rich Wilkins was the first to make that prediction and he's right. Sultana sent a weekend email exploiting the homicide of Alex Pretti less than 24 hours after his death to dun supporters. Thursday, she sent another mass email for funds, announcing that she's running for state senate. 

The header of this email would lead you to believe that she is running for the state house again. 

 

She's apparently unaware that the Pa. House and Pa. Senate are two different bodies of a bicameral legislature. She does make clear, however, that she's running for the state senate.

She claims to need money because she's finalizing a campaign finance report due within the next 48 hours. Her year-end report is due on February 2, not within 48 hours. Also, that report would include contributions made through the end of the year, not donations made now. So her fundraising letter is deceptive, as is the case with most email requests for money from candidates.

My sole question is whether Boscola can defeat Sultana by a wider margin than State Rep. Freeman did when Sultana promaried him with an ugly race full of negative attacks. Freeman got 77.4% of the vote in that primary. Boscola should win by a similar margin.

UPDATED: ICE Tactics Make Partial Federal Gov't Shutdown Likely

We've just gone through the longest federal government shutdown in US history. Democrats wanted a funding bill that included an extension of Obamacare healthcare subsidies enacted during the throes of the COVID pandemic. Senate Republicans refused to budge. A 43-day shutdown ensued. Soon after the Trump administration refused to fund SNAP benefits, eight Senate Democrats (including Pa.'s John Fetterman) voted to join Republicans and end the stalemate.  Now, as a result of the controversial manner in which ICE has enforced immigration laws, at least a partial shutdown looms. 

Congress has already passed 6 of 12 funding measures for government operations. The final 6 include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes ICE and Border Patrol. There are 53 Senate Republicans, so at least 7 Senate Democrats are needed to keep the federal government fully operational. 

Democrats have so far resisted the temptation to insist on abolishing ICE. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked Republicans to separate the DHS bill from the others because changes are needed as a result of the overzealous manner in which ICE has acted in Minneapolis. Two American citizens have been shot dead. They entered the home of an elderly Hmong-American citizen without a warrant and took him away, undressed, in a case of mistaken identity. They've stopped people because of the color of their skin and their accents. They've become an occupation force in which the very people they should be protected are treated like enemy combatants. 

They've somehow managed to turn "Minnesota nice" into Minnesota nasty. We should have learned from the COVID pandemic that people hate restrictions on individual liberties, even something as innocuous as wearing a mask. What is going on is far more repressive, and the entire nation is increasingly concerned that we are on the way to becoming a police state. 

Senator Schumer has offered Democratic support for 5 of the 6 bills. Just not the bill funding DHS. He has four basic demands. First, no home should be entered without a judicial warrant. Second, a general prohibition on wearing masks (I can envision numerous exceptions that would be reasonable). Third, a mandate for body cams and IDs. Fourth, a code of conduct. 

I would also insist on more training, and that it should include crowd control in an urban environment. Most local police officers have far more training than 47 days.  

UPDATED 1:15 pm: The Senate has voted 55-45 to block the spending package that includes funding for DHS. All Democrats were joined by 8 Republicans.

How Local Government Can Help the Affordability Problem

Governing has an interesting article about three ways in which local government can make our communities more affordable. First, it suggests ways that zoning can be used to make housing less expensive. Second, it proposes ways of making mass transit or alternative transportation more attractive. Third, it argues that utility costs can be reduced through efficiency-enhanced technology. While all three of these paths are worth pursuing, I'd like to focus on transportation. 

We spend a lot of money on transportation. In 2023, U.S. households spent an average $13,174 for transportation, making it the second-largest per annum household expenditure after housing. Unfortunately, the state legislature refused to go along with Governor Josh Shapiro's request to increase the amount of money spent on mass transit. But this is where local governments can step in to reduce the amount of money we spend to drive. Reducing that amount by 25% would save families $3,200 a year. 

First, county government should continue its investment in trail infrastructure. Though most people use these trails for fitness or pleasure, they are also commuting routes. I use trails as part of my commute to the courthouse when weather permits and see plenty of others who do so as well. 

Second, county and municipal government should focus on remote work opportunities for public servants who do not interact personally with the public. Human Services workers, for example, should be trained and encouraged to work at least part of their time from home. 

Third, county and municipal government should offer a bonus to workers who are unable to work remotely but reside within 10 miles of their workplace. 

Fourth, county and municipal government should implement bike share programs where you can rent a bike or an ebike at a reasonable fee and then return after use to any of strategically place hubs. Philly uses Indego at a cost of $4 a month, with ebikes costing 7 cents a minute more. During the cold months, you can drive. But during the eight months of the year that you can regularly ride, this can save a lot of money for groceries or a home. 

Finally, county and local government should invest more in mass transit. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to bus people, but the best way to change that is to start using it. Where I live, the buses come by less frequently than in Bethlehem or Easton. But I can drive or cycle to Walmart, and from there can pretty much go wherever I want. I am sure we all could make better use of mass transit and should be encouraged to do so.