Officials should be ready to protect Philadelphia from Trump’s immigration overreach | Editorial
The world has watched as federal agents act with violent impunity — including killing two U.S. citizens — in the name of supposedly going after the “worst of the worst” undocumented immigrants.
The killings, assaults, and gaslighting by the Trump administration in Minneapolis have been heart-wrenching and appalling.
But the costly chaos has also raised a difficult question: Is Philadelphia prepared if Donald Trump launches an immigration crackdown here?
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has largely remained mum on all things Trump. She believes non-provocation is the best way to keep the peace. Given the president’s erratic approach to governing, that strategy may work until something as inane as a Fox News segment sets him off.
That’s why two progressive City Council members, Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau, want the city to do more. They proposed a package of bills designed to make it harder for Trump’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate in Philadelphia.
If approved, the measures would codify into law the existing practices that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement agents, which are currently in place through executive orders by previous mayors. Those orders prohibit city officials from holding undocumented immigrants in custody without a judicial warrant, among other things.
The Council bills would go further by barring ICE agents from wearing masks, using city-owned property for staging raids, or accessing city databases.
The measures seem well-intended, but Parker administration officials doubt they will withstand legal challenges. Nor does Parker welcome anything that may irk Trump.
“Our strategy is working, and it’s keeping Philadelphia safe from all this nonsense,” an administration official who asked not to be identified told the Editorial Board.
Some argue the mayor’s silence signals complicity, and is cold comfort for the city’s estimated 76,000 undocumented immigrants, or the many others who have legal status but still fear harassment — a perfectly rational concern given how ICE under the Trump administration has conducted itself so far.
Beyond the murders of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, everyone has watched federal agents act with violent impunity in the name of purportedly going after the “worst of the worst” undocumented immigrants.
Armed ICE agents entered a U.S. citizen’s home without a warrant and took him away in his underwear. Masked agents dragged a woman from her car and detained innocent children.
» READ MORE: Removal of slavery exhibit from the President’s House will not whitewash history | Editorial
More than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained by ICE, including one man with a Real ID who was arrested twice during immigration raids at construction sites in Alabama.
More than 30 immigrants have died in ICE custody. The causes of death include homicide, seizure, and suicide.
Hundreds of thousands more have been deported, often without due process enshrined in the Fifth and 14th Amendments. Meanwhile, protesters have been shot, assaulted, and pepper-sprayed in violation of their First Amendment rights.
Given the stakes, Philadelphia would best be served if the mayor and Council put aside political differences and figured out how to marshal a unified plan that protects all residents from Trump’s overreach.
It would be even better if state and city leaders developed a plan together in case Trump sends the National Guard or ICE agents to Philadelphia.
The Shapiro administration has engaged in “tabletop exercises” to simulate what a federal incursion would look like, a spokesperson told the Editorial Board, adding that the governor speaks often with the mayor.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has sued the Trump administration 19 times to protect federal funding for critical programs and other issues, including stopping the unlawful deployment of the National Guard into cities.
While Trump has somewhat dialed down the rhetoric in the face of broad pushback following the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents, he has shown no sign of ending his misguided and unconstitutional immigration crackdown. That is even more reason why other leaders must develop a plan to stop the madness.
The governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago were successful in going to the U.S. Supreme Court and getting Trump to withdraw National Guard troops. While cities and states can only go to court after Trump oversteps his authority, it is never too early to prepare.
Democratic lawmakers in other states have proposed a variety of measures to limit and prevent Trump’s heavy-handed immigration tactics.
» READ MORE: Another senseless killing in Trump’s senseless war against Americans | Editorial
A bill in Delaware, modeled after one in New York, would prohibit airlines from receiving jet fuel tax exemptions if they transport people detained by ICE without warrants and due process.
A proposed measure in Colorado would allow individuals to sue federal law enforcement officials for civil rights violations.
In a reminder of just how divided the country remains, lawmakers in some red states have proposed measures to ensure local officials cooperate with ICE.
A bill in South Carolina would require county sheriffs enter into formal agreements to work with ICE, while a measure in Tennessee would require schools to check the immigration status of K-12 students.
It’s beyond head-spinning that any reasonable person — let alone elected officials sworn to uphold the Constitution — could watch how ICE is operating and want more.
Enough is enough. As the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, city and state officials here must work on a unified plan to ensure everyone is free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.