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OUR IMPACT: When we reached out to local governments about agreements their police departments signed with ICE, officials canceled them.
A view from the passenger side of a car, the window is rolled up. You can see a police officer sitting in the driver's seat. Their window is rolled down and they are speaking to an HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) agent through the driver-side window. They are wearing an HSI camouflage vest and a blue t-shirt underneath. They have a badge and radio attached to the vest. Their face is covered by a black mask and they are wearing sunglasses.

An ICE agent speaks with a local police officer during a raid at a Gibsonia restaurant in August. (Photo by Quinn Glabicki/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

Public Source is proud to be a watchdog for how local governments are functioning. As a nonpartisan newsroom offering fully fact-checked stories, we are invested in finding out what’s happening in our region — and letting you know why it matters. We know that without investigative reporting like ours, local authorities may go unobserved, with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Our recent reporting on local municipalities’ agreements with ICE ([link removed]) is a powerful example of why this type of coverage is crucial. Recently, some police departments have agreed to cooperate with ICE under a “task force model” that effectively deputizes local police officers to operate as immigration agents, including questioning people about their citizenship and immigration status. When we learned of these agreements being signed in Munhall, Springdale and Stowe Township, we wanted to know more about what they meant and how they’d be put into practice.

What we found was surprising: In all three municipalities, senior officials said they were unaware of the agreements, raising questions about the legal processes underlying them. After our inquiries, Stowe and Munhall terminated their short-lived agreements with ICE.
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From increasing government accountability, to informing residents on pressing topics, to sharing resources available for those in need, our reporting creates impact. We’re excited to share our newly published 2024-25 Impact Report, which documents many more ways our journalism has helped create change for people in our region.
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