Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject legislation based on Arizona's discriminatory and unconstitutional SB 1070, and to affirm its commitment to ensuring the equal rights of all people in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, On April 23, 2010, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law SB 1070; and

WHEREAS, The Arizona law gives local police broad, unprecedented power to detain individuals based on the vague grounds of suspicion that they are undocumented, and criminalizes the failure to carry immigration documents; and

WHEREAS, On May 4, 2010, Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe introduced HB 2479, modeled on the Arizona law; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to many diverse communities of immigrants, which contribute to the social, economic, and cultural life of Pennsylvania and its cities; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is committed to recognizing the equal rights of all people, stating in its Constitution that “All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty…and of pursuing their own happiness”; and

WHEREAS, The adoption in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of any legislation based on the Arizona law would fatally conflict with this basic recognition of the equal humanity of all Pennsylvania's residents, including immigrants; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY PHILADELPHIA, That we emphatically urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject legislation based on Arizona's discriminatory and unconstitutional SB 1070, and to affirm its commitment to ensuring the equal rights of all people in Pennsylvania.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to all members of the Philadelphia delegation to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

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