01/31/2026
Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering nearly two dozen bills responding to the growing harm caused by ICE’s aggressive enforcement tactics in our communities. These proposals aim to limit local cooperation with ICE, protect due process, and ensure families aren’t torn apart by deportation practices that operate with little transparency or accountability.
These bill face hurdles, especially in the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania State Senate. However, the introduction of multiple pieces of legislation reflects a rising demand from Pennsylvanians to push back against a system that has prioritized fear over everything else.
Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, though its impacts are felt locally: in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. We refuse to be complicit in policies that undermine trust in public institutions. The question for Harrisburg: will it side with communities and constitutional values, or continue enabling a broken and harmful enforcement system?
We are especially proud of Chris Pielli for sponsoring legislation:
“I feel that it’s the most American thing to do, to always question authority and to push back when you see something going out of bounds,” said Pielli, a Democrat. “And this is clearly out of bounds.”
Much of the Pa. legislation has been developed amid the federal immigration crackdown of recent months, but some dates back a year or longer.
