ICE Didn't Pay Rent for Three Years as Officials Seek Eviction, Emails Show

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Jan 20, 2026 at 02:22 PM EST


A Pennsylvania county official is calling for the eviction of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal agents occupied county-owned office space for more than three years without paying rent, according to emails reviewed by Newsweek.

Newly released findings from Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley show that the Hamilton Financial Center building has been used by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is a subdivision of ICE, without a fully executed lease agreement, leaving the county with over $115,000 in uncollected revenue.

“Rather than execute a lease, they executed a memorandum of agreement first that was supposed to turn into a lease 10 months later,” Pinsley, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District, told Newsweek. “During that period of time, DHS moved in.” Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, via email for comment.

Why Hasn't ICE Paid Rent?

Pinsley said the agreement was signed in late 2022, but he later learned the federal official who signed it allegedly lacked the authority to do so. Despite that, federal agents continued occupying the space. The lease arrangement began with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by HSI Special Agent in Charge William Walker on October 31, 2022, which was intended to cover a 10-month term and be followed by a standard lease. However, the lease was never fully executed.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/ice-didnt-pay-rent-three-years-pennsylvania-emails-11388191

[rzemanfl]

1. Well, now they can pay rent

with the money they get from selling the cell phones they steal. The government will get tariff money from the replacements people will have to buy. It’s a win-win for the Nazis.

[NotHardly]

2. Imagine that, Trump's feds not paying their bill :/

[Shipwack]

3. I hate to point this out...

If this issue started three years ago, it started under Biden.

[IbogaProject]

4. ICE was created in 2003 under W

And pushed to extremism under T1 admin, so this may have been a MAGA manager who pulled this stunt.

[Jacson6]

5. This would be the responsibility of the General Services Administration (GSA)

But, The county can offer them temporary quarters on the front lawn in a tent.

[Marie Marie]

6. Oh No. However will they pay for basics like rent with how severely underfunded they are.

And all of Kristi Noem's private plane travel and dress up costumes don't come cheap. Isn't there a bill pending authorizing another increase in funding for them? Just shut them down and save us all a lot of grief and money.