People want ICE out of Pennsylvania. Will Governor Josh Shapiro listen?
On Thursday, about 95 immigration organizations and advocates sent an open letter to Shapiro to end all Immigration and Customs Enforcement cooperation and protect Pennsylvania families.
A representative of Shapiro’s office confirmed by email on Friday that the governor is reviewing the letter.
“We have all witnessed as a nation the unrelenting cruelty of ICE as they physically brutalize people and their blatant disregard of the constitution and people’s rights,” said Jasmine Rivera executive director of Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.
Rivera said the open letter was sent to the governor on International Migrants Day, which was signed by congregations and faith leaders as well as businesses and Pennsylvania-based and national non-profit groups.
If Shapiro moves ahead with an outright ban or cooperation limitations, Pennsylvania would join other states across the nation, including California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, which have either ended or placed limitations or ICE cooperation agreements.
In response to an American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania lawsuit, Pennsylvania State Police developed policy Administrative Regulation 7-14, the governor’s representative said.
In June 2019, during Trump’s first term in office the ACLU of PA sued Pennsylvania State Police and seven state troopers on behalf of 10 Latinx motors for vehicle stops and unlawful detainment.
The policy does not enforce civil immigration laws and won’t ask people about their immigration status, according to the document.
“In response to an ACLU lawsuit … policy AR 7-14, outlines the duties of officers as it relates to the enforcement of immigration law. The regulation states that immigration law enforcement ‘falls exclusively within the authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,’” which includes ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the email said.
READ: Bucks County Sheriff Election Reflects Community Priorities on Immigration Enforcement
Pennsylvania State Police [are] “not permitted to detain an illegal immigrant on the basis of their custody status alone. PSP is not permitted to conduct investigations into motorists’ immigration status,” the email said.
“We have all witnessed as a nation the unrelenting cruelty of ICE as they physically brutalize people and their blatant disregard of the constitution and people’s rights,” said Jasmine Rivera executive director of Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.
Rivera said the open letter was sent to the governor on International Migrants Day, which was signed by congregations and faith leaders as well as businesses and Pennsylvania-based and national non-profit groups.
“We are seeing thousands of people who have been taken by ICE or border patrol disappeared; they are in no government system, and their families are unable to find them. Let’s be clear, immigration enforcement is happening everyday all across the commonwealth. Pennsylvanians are being taken away at unprecedented numbers,” Rivera said in an email.
The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition said the open letter urges the governor “to take immediate administrative action to end existing state collaboration with ICE and enact new protections for immigrant communities that are within his executive authority.”
“We know from research and data that when states stop collaborating with ICE, like Pennsylvania does with data sharing and honoring ICE detainers, it can protect hundreds to thousands of people,” Rivera said.
According to the letter’s contents, immigrant communities contribute more than $523 million in state taxes each year even as they face escalating fear, instability and harm due to collaborations between state systems and federal immigration enforcement agencies.
