Philadelphia Ends Sharing Information With ICE

Philadelphia has announced that it will formally end its information-sharing agreement  with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – a move following protests against ICE.  Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney declared “If I could abolish ICE, I would. But we can abolish this contract, and we are.”  While a court recently ruled against the Administration on withholding federal grants from sanctuary cities, the growing confrontation with ICE is likely to grow as the Trump Administration pursues penalties against such cities.

Philadelphia’s Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS) currently informs authorities when new arrests are made, including the arrestee’s full names, countries of origin, and Social Security numbers.

The open opposition of these cities to federal enforcement will inevitably come to a head. This is clearly viewed as a wedge issue by both parties. Only one is likely correct but the true costs may not be evident in the midterms as opposed to 2020.

In the meantime, Kenney was shown dancing with joy over the sanctuary ruling: