Solidarity Lancaster

05/14/2026

In February we showed up to the Lancaster County Prison Board meeting with over 100 people and 2,700 petition signatures to demand that Sheriff Leppler rescind his Department’s 287(g) agreement with ICE. Today, he announced his resignation from Office.

After presenting our petition, community members attended Prison Board Meetings in March and April, ready to ask our Sheriff to end 287(g) in Lancaster. He was not present at these meetings.

We wish Sheriff Leppler had continued his term and used his remaining time in office to do the right thing and end County collaboration with ICE. The voters will not have an opportunity to elect a new Sheriff until 2027. In the meantime, Chief Deputy Marc Shaffer will serve as interim sheriff.

We call on Chief Deputy Shaffer to put an immediate end to local collaboration with ICE upon taking office. 287(g) agreements erode community trust, waste local taxpayer’s resources, and lead to racial profiling and civil rights lawsuits. Do right by the people of Lancaster County and rescind the 287(g) agreement on July 10th.

05/06/2026

Thank you to Gina and the many Lancastrians who have stepped outside of their comfort zones to say NO to 287(g) agreements. This moment requires us to do what we know is right. It is not always easy, comfortable, or without risk. But it is who we are.

"Stepping far outside my comfort zone, I reached out to our local police chief for a face-to-face meeting. I walked into the station with my fledgling understanding of the agreement and sweaty palms," Gina Burkhart, a Mennonite pastor and self-ascribed "reluctant activist," shares. When she learned about 287(g) agreements that enable state, county, and local law enforcement agencies to make immigration arrests and serve on ICE task forces, she decided to act. After meeting with her local police chief, she spoke at a press conference (pictured here), "...emphasizing that as a follower of Jesus I want to be a voice for those who are marginalized. 287(g) agreements create a great risk that our immigrant neighbors could be unjustly targeted and threatened. I want to affirm their rights and their value in our community."

To learn more about 287(g) agreements and what you can do about them, check out our backgrounder here: docs.google.com/document/d/1tgbCWtOGpJLmxpcmi-H1MNcQ8k3wlnkoMErFWPw_lTM/edit?usp=sharing

05/05/2026

We have been seeing more need for community support for neighbors and family taken by ICE. Thank you Ric's Bread for getting the word out. Please donate to help Carlos and his family.

Carlos, a family member of ours, is a father and the main financ… Esther M needs your support for Urgent need for young family affected by ICE and deportation

05/02/2026

Today at 1pm!

Following the recent news of proposed ICE surges in Lancaster County, we feel an urgent need to prepare our community for potential encounters with ICE.

We saw what worked in Minneapolis. Mass participation in rapid response networks, legal observance, and mutual aid were key to defending the city during Operation Metro Surge. People, organizations, and businesses across Lancaster have been building networks of Solidarity that are already being used to defend our neighbors. But we currently lack a large-scale ICE watch network that can contribute to broader community defense networks.

We hope that this training will provide our community with the structure and knowledge to perform ICE watch now, and to scale up our efforts if the need arises.

Join us May 2nd from 1-3pm at Landisville Mennonite Church (3320 Bowman Rd., Landisville, PA) to learn how you can be a part of ongoing ICE watch efforts in the County.

Register using the link in the comments.

05/01/2026

Happy May Day!

This May Day we are using our economic power to show the billionaires and oligarchs who really makes the country run. As part of a national day of action, we encourage people to be involved however they can. This is an opportunity to flex our economic muscle on a national scale.

NO SCHOOL
NO WORK
NO SHOPPING

Today, let’s celebrate the workers that have fought for a better life by joining that struggle.

04/16/2026

Tonight! Join Millersville students in their efforts to protect their international classmates from ICE. The Millersville YDSA has put together a comprehensive list of demands to make their campus a sanctuary. Read their demands and sign their petition in comments, and join them in their picket tonight!

The Millersville Alumni at Solidarity Lancaster stand proudly with the YDSA to demand that students have the right to learn without fear of harassment, detention, and brutality.

04/13/2026

Following the recent news of proposed ICE surges in Lancaster County, we feel an urgent need to prepare our community for potential encounters with ICE.

We saw what worked in Minneapolis. Mass participation in rapid response networks, legal observance, and mutual aid were key to defending the city during Operation Metro Surge. People, organizations, and businesses across Lancaster have been building networks of Solidarity that are already being used to defend our neighbors. But we currently lack a large-scale ICE watch network that can contribute to broader community defense networks.

We hope that this training will provide our community with the structure and knowledge to perform ICE watch now, and to scale up our efforts if the need arises.

Join us May 2nd from 1-3pm at Landisville Mennonite Church (3320 Bowman Rd., Landisville, PA) to learn how you can be a part of ongoing ICE watch efforts in the County.

Register using the link in the comments.

04/12/2026

Today Viktor Orban, the far-right authoritarian Prime Minister of Hungary, has been defeated after 16 years in power. Orban is one of Trump’s closest allies. His methods have been used as a template by the global far right to undermine democratic institutions and incite xenophobia. Today’s results show what happens when the people rise up against an authoritarian leader. Let’s take inspiration from the people of Hungary and work towards defeating authoritarianism everywhere. Authoritarians want us to believe their rule is inevitable. It is not.