WHEREAS, Philadelphia is comprised of racially and ethnically diverse individuals, whose ethnicity can be traced to every corner of the globe, and whose collective cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints join to form a rich community which prides itself on welcoming persons and families of all backgrounds and nationalities; and
WHEREAS, Far too many people are lost in our broken immigration and detention system. According to Resolution 130084 passed by City Council earlier this year, over 800,000 people have been deported in just two years, which tears apart families, causing children to lose one, and sometimes both parents, and many of these children are forced into the foster care system and face possible permanent separation from their parents; and
WHEREAS, Recent federal immigration enforcement in the region through ICE's Secure Communities Program and other database sharing programs, the City of Philadelphia has participated in information-sharing with ICE and has also participated in ICE detainer requests; and
WHEREAS, Participation of City employees in these voluntary programs discourages immigrant residents from reporting crimes and suspicious activity and cooperating with criminal investigations which threatens the health, safety and welfare of the entire Philadelphia community; and
WHEREAS, Despite troubling inconsistencies in ICE policies, it is clear that ICE detainers are discretionary requests, and state and local law enforcement agencies are not required to comply with ICE detainers under federal law; and
WHEREAS, Several large US cities have recently ended their cooperative relationships with ICE, including Newark, NJ, and Chicago, IL; and
WHEREAS, ICE will not indemnify local agencies for costs associated as a result of wrongful detainer requests, and it costs the City approximately $114 per day to incarcerate an individual pursuant to an ICE detainer, and the City can no longer afford to spend taxpayer funds on this enterprise which is at times unjust and illegal; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, City Council adopted a Resolution that condemned the City's participation in the Secure Communities program and urged the City to discontinue all information-sharing agreements with ICE. As of yet however, the City has failed to end these relationships; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Public Safety is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to examine the working relationship between the City of Philadelphia, its agencies including the Police Department, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to
determine the impact on Philadelphia's immigrant community and whether this relationship should be terminated.
End