The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg invites the community to this year’s Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture on Contemporary Ethical Issues. The title of the lecture is “Enforcing Borders, Shaping Communities: The Ethical Impact of Local Police in Federal Immigration.”
The event, part of 51’s Criminal Justice Week, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m., in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. It is free and open to the public. The event will also be live-streamed online at 6 p.m. EST. .
The lecture will examine the role local and state police departments play in enforcing federal immigration laws. Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with the power to “. . . delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specific immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”
Tim Holler, PhD, associate professor of criminal justice at 51, explains that ICE currently has over 950 Memorandums of Agreement with law enforcement agencies—34 of which are in Pennsylvania—across 35 states. He notes, “The unprecedented rise in immigration enforcement actions nationally, and the continuing discussion of the role of law enforcement in local communities, makes this a topic worthy of ethical exploration. The panel for the lecture series will include representatives from local and state law enforcement agencies, and a legal expert on federal immigration law.”
The Panel:
Aaron J. Allen, a Corporal with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), is a Heritage Affairs Liaison Office with the PSP Office of Community Engagement. He works with local, state, and federal agencies where he investigates, monitors, oversees, and responds to hate crimes, bias-related incidents, and any incidents that deal with racial tension throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The goal of the PSP Heritage Affairs Office is to improve community relations and build positive relationships between law enforcement and the community.
A native of Greensburg, PA, he attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and, upon graduation, worked in the patrol unit for approximately five years. He has served as a firearms instructor, field driving instructor, field training officer, child car seat technician, school bus inspector, PACIC intelligence office, de-escalation instructor, diversity and inclusion instructor, crisis intervention training officer, alternate community service officer, and recruitment coordinator.
Allen graduated from Chowan University (NC) with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and Point Park University with a master’s degree in criminal justice administration and management.
An adjunct professor at Westmoreland County Community College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Saint Vincent College, he also teaches at the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy held at Robert Morris University and Indiana University.
He has been recognized with awards at the federal, state, and local levels, including an NAACP Award, Department of Justice - United States Attorney Award, two time Westmoreland County Community College Professor of the year award nominee, YWCA Social and Racial Justice Award Nominee, 2024 Adjunct Professor of the Year Award, Westmoreland County Trailblazer Award, and 2020 Westmoreland County Community College Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Anam Petit is an experienced immigration attorney and former immigration judge who brings a comprehensive understanding of immigration law and procedure to her practice. From 2023 to 2025, she served on the bench at the Annandale Immigration Court, where she presided over complex removal proceedings and adjudicated a wide range of immigration matters with compassion and precision.
Before her judicial appointment, Petit was a Partner at Calderón Seguin PLC in Fairfax, Virginia. Her practice encompassed a broad spectrum of immigration matters, including family- and employment-based petitions, waivers of inadmissibility, humanitarian relief, asylum applications, and appellate advocacy. She developed particular expertise in removal defense and in the intersection of immigration and criminal law—regularly advising clients and attorneys on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions and crafting effective defense strategies. Petit has represented detained and non-detained individuals before the Arlington and Baltimore Immigration Courts, handled affirmative applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and litigated appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Appeals Office, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
In addition to her legal practice, Petit has long been committed to teaching, mentorship, and community engagement. She served as an adjunct professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, co-teaching the Women and Immigration Fieldwork Practicum. She frequently engages with the media and presents at professional conferences and trainings for various local and national institutions. During her time in private practice, she also volunteered with and provided pro bono legal services through the American Immigration Lawyers Association, AsylumWorks, Ayuda, CAIR Coalition, Catholic Charities, HIAS, DC Affordable Law Firm, and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center.
Petit earned her Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Political Science with a minor in Hispanic Languages and Literature from The George Washington University. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and speaks Spanish.
Jeff Upson is a former officer with the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police where he was employed for 12 years, including three years as a patrol sergeant. During his time with the Pittsburgh Bureau, he was also a field training officer and a training academy instructor (use-of-force, procedural justice, etc.). Upson is currently the owner of Pennsylvania Media Company and PA Power Wrestling, an organization operating since 2012 that covers all levels of amateur wrestling in Pennsylvania. He is also the co-owner of DBA Training Solutions, a company dedicated to reducing implicit bias.
Upson is a graduate of West Virginia University with a BA in criminology & investigations and a minor in communications. He also is a graduate of the University of Greenwich with an MA in international criminology.
The Cobetto Lecture is part of 51’s Criminal Justice Week, which brings professionals working in that field to campus to share their experiences and their advice with students. Another CJ Week event that is open to the public is the Criminal Justice Networking Event that will be held Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Hempfield Room (Chambers Hall).
Nearly 20 agencies and organizations are expected to be in attendance. (The actual number of agencies represented may change due to the federal and state budget impasses.) Federal agencies like the ATF, AmeriCorps, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and US Bankruptcy Courts usually participate in this event. Representatives of state and local agencies expected to be at the event include the City of Greensburg and the City of Pittsburgh, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, PA State Police (Liquor Control Board and SERT), Blackburn Center, Westmoreland County, Westmoreland County Bar, and Westmoreland Case Management and Supports.
About the Cobetto Lecture:
The Dr. Bernard Cobetto Lecture Series was established in 2005 at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg by Bernard Cobetto, MD, and his wife, Ellen. It is held each year and focuses on contemporary ethical issues. Dr. Cobetto was a 1945 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and a 1947 graduate of the University’s School of Medicine. Sadly, both Dr. Cobetto and Ellen passed, in 2022 and 2020, respectively. They, were residents of Greensburg.