WHEREAS, State Representative Martina White (R-Philadelphia) introduced House Bill No. 1885, “An Act amending Titles 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in matters affecting government units, providing for exceptions to governmental immunity related to unauthorized aliens; and, in preemptions, providing for restriction on municipal regulation of official and employee communications relating to immigration status” in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in April 2016; and
WHEREAS, House Bill No. 1885 proposes having the State Treasurer withhold the payment of Commonwealth funds to any municipality which prevents local law enforcement from fully cooperating with federal immigration authorities; and
WHEREAS, On Monday, January 4, 2016, Mayor Kenney, on his first day in office, signed an Executive Order barring City law enforcement from fully cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reaffirming Philadelphia's status as a sanctuary City for undocumented aliens; and
WHEREAS, The damage that would be done to Philadelphians, including those who live in Rep. White’s House District 170, by House Bill No. 1885 is staggering. State funding would be withheld from police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, senior citizens, transportation infrastructure, after school programs, workforce and economic development programs, public health agencies, and many other important services. The damage would ultimately harm not only the City, but the region and state as well; and
WHEREAS, While the disagreement over Philadelphia’s sanctuary City status continues, punishing the citizens of Philadelphia, a City with a 26% poverty rate, by withholding state funds amounting to $2,291,807,000 of the Operating Budget and $435,500,000 of the Philadelphia Capital Budget for vital services will likely cause more damage than the problem which House Bill No. 1885 seeks to address; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia opposes any language in House Bill No. 1885 that jeopardizes the well-being of Philadelphians by withholding all state funding for an indefinite period of time; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject House Bill No. 1885’s proposal to withhold all state funding from Philadelphia.
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