Northeast
Philadelphia’s threat to prosecute ICE could trigger landmark court fight over authority, experts warn
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The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and legal scholars laid out what could happen if Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner follows through on his promise to prosecute ICE for acts committed in the line of their duty, should operations in Pennsylvania reach a flashpoint.
Last week, Krasner warned he would prosecute agents who “come to Philly to commit crimes” in an apparent reference to allegations an agent acted unlawfully in shooting a Minnesota woman who appeared to intentionally hit him with her car while disrupting an operation.
Philadelphia County Sheriff Rochelle Bilal doubled down, calling ICE officers “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and warned them they “don’t want this smoke ‘cause we will bring it to you.”
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Krasner argued President Donald Trump could not pardon arrested agents because any cases would be brought at the state level, leading Fox News Digital to ask officials and experts to weigh in on what the true case may be.
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, the chair of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at Ohio State’s college of law, and an expert in immigration and criminal law that is at nexus in this case, said interfering with federal law enforcement carrying out their job duties is just as much of a crime as killing someone without legal justification.
“Immigration agents are permitted to enforce federal immigration laws within any community in the United States, including Philadelphia, but local police officers there are equally authorized to investigate anyone who they suspect of having committed a violent crime.”
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While federal and local authorities often work in tandem in important operations to deconflict potential flash points, Hernandez said that dynamic has “clearly broken down in cities like Minneapolis” and that Krasner’s comments suggest it’s “frayed” in Philadelphia.
If trust is broken between local and federal authorities, actions like Krasner’s pledge may lead to court battles to determine supremacy.
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano — a former professor of strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle — predicted the feds would win any litigation due to the Supremacy Clause, which reads that “the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.”
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He added in recent comments to Fox News Digital that the “Constitution is not optional” and if Philadelphia officials think they can “bully” Washington, they will find out “that’s not how America works.”
Hernandez said, “It is absolutely clear that no one — not even federal law enforcement officers — can do anything they like in the course of carrying out their job duties.”
“The hard question is where the line is drawn. That is what courts are set up to do, but they can only play their part if law enforcement officials investigate what happened, then prosecutors dig in to see whether there is a legal basis for filing criminal charges.”
When asked how they would treat such a case, a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the DOJ has a “zero-tolerance policy for violence against law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
A top attorney at the Washington investigative nonprofit Oversight Project said that Philadelphia officials have to be “bluffing.”
“Any local arrest of a federal law enforcement official for performing federal law enforcement functions would be blatantly unlawful. Any ICE agents would be immediately released and the local officials should face charges for obstructing federal law enforcement.”
“This is hornbook constitutional law that every law student in America learns early in their schooling,” he said, adding that residents in cities where prosecutors believe they can pursue federal agents deserve officials with a “basic rudimentary understanding of law.”
DHS also weighed in, saying that the city would have no legal leg to stand on if prosecutors were to decide to interfere in any Minneapolis-style operations on Broad Street.
“Enforcing federal immigration laws is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy clause,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
It would be up to Congress then to give local officials any carveouts, she suggested.
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Philadelphia County Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, center, speaks as DA Larry Krasner, left, listens. (Office of Philadelphia County Sheriff)
“Our law enforcement is enforcing federal law — if politicians and activists don’t like the law, they should try to change it instead of demonizing our brave men and women in uniform.”
McLaughlin said Philadelphia is not alone in anti-enforcement rhetoric, and laid out the stakes of what kind of lawlessness could have continued in Pennsylvania if her agency hadn’t already begun taking criminal illegal immigrants off the streets.
She pointed to DHS’ recent capture of Yehia Badawi, an Egyptian illegal immigrant convicted of aggravated assault and robbery in Philadelphia.
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McLaughlin also shared the names of a Cuban drug trafficker, a Cambodian methamphetamine dealer and several other illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including rape.
Krasner’s office did not return a request for comment, and Bilal referred further questions to the DA after a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that lawmakers in Harrisburg do not decide who gets arrested in Philadelphia.
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New Hampshire
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U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.
Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.
“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.
She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.
“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.
A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.
“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.
She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”
The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.
“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”
With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.
Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”
Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.
Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.
The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 2 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 4-7, Wild: 5
Evening: 8-8, Wild: 0
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 6-7-7, Wild: 5
Evening: 0-0-3, Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 7-2-1-4, Wild: 5
Evening: 5-7-3-1, Wild: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
Day: 8-4-5-4-4, Wild: 5
Evening: 1-1-9-8-7, Wild: 0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
04-14-16-20-38
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
02-04-08-13-30
Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
10-12-23-31-33-46
Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Sign the Ticket: Ensure your ticket has your signature, name, address and phone number on the back.
- Prizes up to $600: Claim at any PA Lottery retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
- Prizes from $600 to $2,500: Use a Claim Form to claim at a retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
- Prizes over $2,500: Mail your signed ticket with a Claim Form or in person at a Lottery Area Office (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Lottery Headquarters is currently not open to the public. Visit the PA Lottery website for other office locations near you.
When are the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: 1:35 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. daily.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
- Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. daily.
- Treasure Hunt: 1:35 p.m. daily.
- Match 6 Lotto: 6:59 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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