In a press release on Wednesday, Representative Frank Burns (D-Cambria) declared his support for the elimination of sanctuary cities in Pennsylvania.
The press release states that Burns is the sponsor of House Bill 1840, a piece of proposed legislation that would prevent Pennsylvanian local governments from designating themselves as sanctuary cities.
According to the announcement, this measure is in reaction to “an unprecedented and unrelenting tidal wave of southern border crossings.”
“We don’t need to keep open a ‘sanctuary city’ door in Pennsylvania that in reality serves as a portal to exacerbate this trend. Call me names if you want, but I think the top priority of any elected official in Pennsylvania should be taking care of the people who are already – and legally – here.” Rep. Frank Burns (D-Cambria) stated.
A sanctuary city is a city where local laws protect undocumented immigrants from being deported or prosecuted. H.B. 1840, currently under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee, aims to prevent cities and counties from stopping the enforcement of immigration laws.
If the bill becomes law, police officers would have to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) any arrested person they believe is in the U.S. illegally.
Although Rep. Burns argues that sponsoring the bill is to save Pennsylvania taxpayers from high costs related to undocumented immigrants, it also allows cities and counties to be sued if they release someone with a detainer without trying to contact ICE for a custody transfer.
If the bill passes, the Attorney General must defend the city or law enforcement agency in question, and the state will be responsible for any expenses from a civil lawsuit.
Currently, Philadelphia is the only sanctuary city in Pennsylvania. However, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, 13 counties in the state have declared themselves “sanctuary counties”: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Clarion, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Lehigh, Lycoming, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, and Westmoreland.
These counties refuse to detain individuals based solely on an ICE detainer, either without proper legal documentation or altogether.
