Philadelphia Council President: City Must Actively Engage in Battle Against Trump Immigration Policies
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson has declared that the city can no longer remain on the sidelines regarding federal immigration enforcement, signaling a shift from passive non-cooperation to active legislative resistance against the Trump administration’s deportation agenda. Johnson’s call to action coincides with the introduction of the “ICE Out” legislative package, a sweeping set of seven bills designed to severely restrict the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within city limits.
“We cannot sit out this fight,” Johnson stated, emphasizing that the city’s previous “sanctuary” protocols are insufficient to address the current federal crackdown. Johnson has joined a veto-proof majority of City Council members in sponsoring the new legislation, which aims to close loopholes in the city’s existing Welcoming City policies. The proposed measures would legally prohibit city employees from sharing data with federal immigration authorities, ban ICE agents from entering non-public areas of city facilities without a judicial warrant, and forbid the use of city resources to assist in federal deportation efforts. Additionally, the package includes a controversial provision banning federal agents from wearing face masks while operating in the city to ensure accountability.
Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau, who spearheaded the package, argue that these measures are a necessary response to reports of aggressive federal tactics. “Fear is not public safety, trust is,” Landau said, asserting that the city must protect its immigrant communities to maintain cooperation with local law enforcement.
Objections and Federal Pushback
The move has drawn sharp condemnation from federal officials and conservative critics who argue that Philadelphia’s non-cooperation endangers the public. Tom Homan, a key figure in the Trump administration’s border enforcement strategy, warned that jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with ICE are protecting criminals rather than innocent families. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement contending that when local police are barred from working with federal agents, ICE is forced to increase its visible presence in neighborhoods to apprehend suspects who would otherwise be transferred securely from local jails. Critics also point out that these measures could trigger costly legal battles and jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding conditioned on cooperation with immigration authorities.
Background on Sanctuary Status
Philadelphia has long identified as a “sanctuary city,” a term that generally refers to jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. This status was formalized under former Mayor Jim Kenney via a 2016 executive order, which prevented the city from holding undocumented immigrants for ICE unless presented with a judicial warrant. However, the new “ICE Out” package seeks to codify these executive orders into permanent municipal law, making them harder to reverse by future mayoral administrations. The legislative push comes as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to execute mass deportations, utilizing mechanisms such as the Alien Enemies Act to bypass standard legal hurdles, a strategy that has prompted Democratic strongholds across the nation to fortify their local defenses.
phlcouncil.com
youtube.com
youtube.com
youtube.com
