Title
Urging U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick as well as all United States Senators committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States and the Rule of Law to vote "No" on H.R. 7147, and to reject increased funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Body
WHEREAS, The United States Senate will soon vote on H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, which includes $64.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and
WHEREAS, $10 billion of that funding will be allocated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), adding to the tens of billions already allocated to ICE for 2026 by the Trump administration and Congress, and serving essentially as a “blank check” to ramp up and expand operations across the United States; and
WHEREAS, Under the oversight of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE agents have engaged and continue to engage in lawless, cruel, and unconstitutional activities without accountability to Congress or the public; and
WHEREAS, many ICE agents routinely violate the Constitutional rights of both U.S. citizens and non-citizen residents alike, including assaulting, pepper-spraying, and killing peaceful protesters; ordering people to stop recording officers in public places, then harassing, detaining, and arresting those who fail to comply; and forcing entry into private homes and businesses without a judicial warrant; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, 32 people died in ICE custody - the highest number in more than two decades; and
WHEREAS, There have been approximately 130 known ICE arrests of people with cases in the system in the Philadelphia area; and
WHEREAS, ICE agents under the direction of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, are committing an ongoing and escalating assault on the City of Minneapolis; and,
WHEREAS, ICE agents have used deadly force against 12 people during immigration enforcement operations since September of 2025, including U.S. Citizens Carlos Jimenez of Ontario, California; Renee Good of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Alex Pretti of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and,
WHEREAS, an off-duty ICE agent shot and killed U.S. Citizen Keith Porter of Los Angeles, California on New Year’s Eve 2025; and,
WHEREAS, Parady La, an Upper Darby man detained by ICE agents died in custody in Philadelphia on January 9th; and
WHEREAS, ICE is making communities less safe, targeting residents who are trying to make a life for themselves, and creating an environment of fear, surveillance, and violence that affects all Philadelphians; and
WHEREAS, drastically increasing funding for DHS and ICE will only increase their ability to cause chaos and harm in communities across the country, including here in Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, that the Council of the City of Philadelphia urges U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick as well as all United States Senators committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States and the Rule of Law to vote “No” on H.R. 7147 and to reject increased funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
End