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

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