Thursday is the 80th anniversary of the Allies victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, but that’s not why Bucks County Commission Chairman Bob Harvie was talking about Hitler this week.
Harvie brought up World War II during a debate over Sheriff Fred Harran’s decision to offer to aid federal immigration enforcement in the county. Harran has applied to have his department participate the 287(g) program that allows local cops to participate in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts.
During a crowded county commissioners meeting Wednesday where Harran’s actions were the hot topic, Harvie — a former teacher — mentioned the VE Day anniversary and compared America’s current political climate to pre-war Germany.
“For someone who’s spent a lot of time studying World War II, there are definite parallels that I see happening,” the Bucks County Democrat said. “Not nearly as great as what happened in 1920s Italy, 1930s Germany, but certainly not too far away from being in the same ballpark. It’s concerning. It’s something that all of us should be more focused on.”
Harvie is running for Congress against Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Harvie’s fellow Democrat, Board Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia, also opposes Harran’s plan to help enforce immigration law. “We want ICE to do ICE, but we want the sheriff to do sheriff.”
Harran released a statement saying his priority is “ensuring the safety of the people of Bucks County” and that’s why he is partnering with ICE under 287 (g). He said the program would save the county money because those illegal immigrants arrested would be housed in ICE facilities instead of the county jail.
Pro-immigrant gathering at the Bucks County courthouse on May 6, 2025. (Courtesy of Mona Chipman)
Some of the people who turned out on Wednesday offered their support.
One woman who spoke called out former President Joe Biden’s open borders policy that allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to pour into the country. She said she stands with Harran and with the “Angel families,” whose relatives died at the hands of illegal aliens.
Retired Army Col. Peder Cox talked about his time serving “in the jungles of Central America in a war that America never fought, but we won. Now their sons and grandsons are invading this country and doing the same thing they were doing down there.”
“And whether you like it or not, that’s exactly what they’re going to try and do in this country,” Cox added.
But many of the attendees opposed increased immigration enforcement, especially with the involvement of local law enforcement.
Joe Frederick told commissioners Harran’s agreement with ICE is “a political stunt.”
“This policy goes against what the people of Bucks County expect from our elected officials. The sheriff is using his office to exploit some of the most vulnerable and marginalized people. And use them as pawns to further his political ambitions,” he said.
Rose Hanh Yuan, a real estate agent and Vietnamese immigrant, said the sheriff’s working with ICE could lower property values by making people fearful of buying here.
And several speakers echoed Harvie’s ‘Hitler’ rhetoric. One man said his parents had fought in Nazi Germany and “We are not going to be a police state.” He told Harran to “stay in your lane.”
“Due process is not just for citizens,” he said. “It’s for every living being. It’s not a citizen’s right. It’s a human right.”
Polls continue to show that a majority of Americans support deporting all illegal aliens, not just those who’ve also committed additional, violent crimes.
In an op-ed at Broad+Liberty, Harran bemoaned the tenor of the attacks against him and his participation in the ICE program.
“Let me be clear: this is about public safety, not politics. It’s disheartening to see deliberate falsehoods and personal attacks, including being slandered with Holocaust-era language, simply for doing my job. As the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania, this kind of rhetoric is deeply offensive and has no place in Bucks County.”
