The Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania has a message for Pennsylvania friends and family:We need your help! MILPA is reaching out to you all in preparation of a very important vote coming down the pike next week. HB1885 is being billed as an anti “sanctuary cities bill” in our state. It represents a threat beyond what most of us understand as sanctuary cities and in fact seeks to make our towns and cities places where undocumented families can be harassed and targeted. It reaches into every community in our state. This is not who Pennsylvanians are!
When we learned about the bill, we were told that it’s chances of passing were very low. There was not a true understanding of where we are politically. It has steam and the potential to become law.
What HB1885 Does:
- Makes municipalities who protect immigrants from being probed and reported on their immigration status or any action by municipalities deemed as non-cooperation with federal agencies as liable for crimes committed by any undocumented person residing in their town or city. These towns and cities would lose state funding. Every town will be affected by this law.
- This liability would force police to inquire and report the immigration status of every arrest if there is ‘reasonable cause to believe’ that person is undocumented.
- Blocks protection of victims and witnesses of crimes from being probed about immigration status or reported
- Allows any municipal employee to ask, report and maintain immigration information of any individual. Any effort to block such action by a municipality would make that town or city liable under this law.
- Read the bill here
This bill will:
- Make Pennsylvania less safe
- Create a climate of fear for immigrant families in towns and cities across PA
- Undermine local efforts by Mayors, City Councils, Police and communities to build trust and communication, to create welcoming places for people to live and thrive
- Be another barrier for victims of domestic violence to seek help
- Force local law enforcement to collaborate as ICE, will create a legal quagmire for officers forced to make judgements on a persons legal status or make their municipality liable under this law
- Be a legal nightmare for municipalities forced to comply with state law and in effect violate residents’ due process
This bill is a threat to every community in PA! We are calling on folks to put some time and resource into helping stop it. On Monday the bill passed with enough votes to override a veto from the Governor and there is reason to believe the same could happen in the Senate.
What to do:
1. If your senator is a Democrat, we need commitments from every Democrat that they will vote against this bill. Can you mobilize your lists and networks to make these calls? Can you call to confirm their vote?
2. If your Senator is Republican in a swing district, this is a time to put pressure on them to stand up to this kind of politic
3. If your organization has a relationship with police departments, mayors or city council or commissioners – this is a time to call on them to stand up for immigrant communities. We need voices from local government, particularly outside of Philadelphia, who can speak to how bad this policy is, the damage it will do locally and how it undermines public safety
4. Ask officials who support immigrant communities to speak to local press or make a public statement. We can help you with contacting press or thinking through messaging if you need.
5. MOBILIZE for visibility and unity! Silence from immigrants outside of Philadelphia is a political strength for our opposition in this moment. We are in every community, we are valued members of each community and now is a time to show this.
There are 2 events planned that people can participate in:
Friday October 21st New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia is holding a vigil and celebration of the city’s sanctuary policy. The vigil is an overnight vigil from 7pm-7am in the city’s center. If you are interested in participating, please contactblanca@sanctuaryphiladelphia.o
Monday October 24th, MILPA along with CASA are mobilizing at the state capitol starting at 12pm ahead of the Senate vote. Plans for this are still unfolding, but we are calling on everyone to make time and resource to send a group and/or help mobilize the community in your area to attend.
6. If you live in a swing district and your organization can do political work, meaning getting people out to vote against anti-immigrant legislators, there are people in our state working on this NOW and we can put you in touch.
7. Several people receiving this email belong to poor people’s organizations and working peoples organizations in our state who are committed to uniting, not dividing, the people of our state. If you have thoughts about how to build that kind of unity and power in the face of this ugly and divisive politics, we are open to thinking with you.
We know that every group in this state is in the middle of a battle. We understand! We are a group of volunteers, mamas and dads, farm workers and students juggling everything you can imagine, responding to crisis everyday. We think we will have to carve some attention to this now — these folks can not get away with this in our state without a fight.
Keep the conversation going. Comments welcomed!