Philadelphia may also have been considering liability issues. As more and more of ICE’s behavior comes under legal scrutiny, and some of it is ruled definitively unlawful (including treatment of people awaiting adjudication) any jurisdiction that enables them is going to run the risk of being caught up in litigation.
Which is a perfectly good reason to avoid ICE.
Friends took me to a hockey game once. I doubt the crowds in the Colosseum were any more bloodthirsty. So I’m aware, believe me.
I don’t have insight into City Hall’s thinking on this: I know they were pressured heavily by street demos, Occupy style, that ramped up after the Philly PD dismantled the Occupy Ice encampment that was barricading entrance to ICE offices in Philly’s chinatown: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/occupy-ice-philadelphia-police-destroy-camp-20180705.html Protesters then pivoted to the more constructive strategy of “demanding” the mayor cut off cooperation: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/ice-protest-philadelphia-occupy-city-hall-20180706.html The real key here for Philly progressives, however, was getting Krasner elected as DA last year. As the AP article makes clear, the support of the DAs office was essential for the city to take action. As for the politics of it, the challenge to Philly democrats locally is now all coming from the left, so it’s a smart play from the mayor to shore up his bonafides among the largest growing group of Philly voters. But I don’t think the decision was at all driven by electoral considerations. He’s quite safe for the moment. He might be primaried from the left, but that would be a waste of resources and good will on the part of local activist groups…which doesn’t mean that they won’t be tempted to do it. But they’ve been remarkably focused on issues so far.
My hometown, and I am impressed.
That Santa was drunk and not the regular Santa. Get the story straight.
Time to end this tired narrative? The Eagles won the Super Bowl and there were no riots, only dancing in the streets, the only property damaged was the awning of the Ritz Carlton hotel next to City Hall and a window in the building next door. Oh, and two cars were set on fire in South Philly…but nevermind.
“Sanctuary-city policies make American communities like Philadelphia less safe by putting the rights of criminal aliens over the safety and security of American citizens,” Waldman said.
This is factually wrong. Waldman’s lying and she knows it.
U.S. Homeland Security spokeswoman Katie Waldman called the decision irresponsible and said the city will end up “harboring criminal aliens.”
“Sanctuary-city policies make American communities like Philadelphia less safe by putting the rights of criminal aliens over the safety and security of American citizens,” Waldman said. “Despite the misguided action taken by Philadelphia today, DHS will continue to work to remove illegal aliens and uphold public safety.”
Translation: American citizens will only be safe when the police state is fully implemented. Philadelphia’s refusal to cooperate with the police state will retard the implementation of the police state, but we’ll get these spics anyway.
Philly mayor won my immediate support when he responded like this to Trump disinviting the Eagle’s to the Whitehouse after their Super Bowl win:
"The Eagles call the birthplace of our democracy home, so it’s no surprise that this team embodies everything that makes our country and our city great. Their athletic accomplishments on the field led to an historic victory this year. Fans all across the country rallied behind them because we like to root for the underdog and we feel joy when we see the underdogs finally win. I’m equally proud of the Eagles’ activism off the field. These are players who stand up for the causes they believe in and who contribute in meaningful ways to their community. They represent the diversity of our nation-a nation in which we are free to express our opinions.
"Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend.
“City Hall is always open for a celebration.”
I don’t know about that. If Melania put her non-existent degree from the University of Slovenia on her citizenship application, I’d be in favor of denaturalization and deportation. After a sufficiently long and highly publicized trial, of course.
My best guess is that Philadelphia PD will be just fine dealing with criminals of all stripes all by themselves, alien and otherwise.
Waldman and the ICE hit squads can tell their story walking.
I suspect that the people who join ICE are the ones who failed their psychological profile to get on the local police force.
Wow. Even in Philly, they don’t normally admit people duct-taped to a chair.
It is beyond deplorable. Despicable. And being done in our name as official policy of the United States.
These people had a theory, since abandoned, that I was a closet or at least potential hockey fan. They were insane hockey fans themselves which I think colored their view a little. This excursion was 30 years ago and I’m still not a hockey fan. I do go to a baseball game once every ten years whether I need to or not.
I love the city I spent my working life in, GO PHILLY!
The birthplace of Democracy, the cradle of Liberty, where the United States was born.
Chicago here…there was a court ruling just yesterday saying the Trump admin. lacks the authority to withhold federal public safety money from a municipality if that municipality withholds cooperation with ICE. This was in response to a suit filed by Chicago last year against the DOJ.
Chicago ordinances bar cops from cooperating with ICE except in rare serious criminal cases.
Encouraging.
Speaking of humanity and losing it have you been following the Guardian’s stories of the Windrush generations. These are people who came to England in the 60s and 70s from commonwealth countries to help rebuild England after the second world war. They are getting rounded up and placed in detention centers because May’s government says they’ve been in living in England illegally.
Just Google Guardian and Windrush, I fear we are heading down the same road.
