1/22/14: City Council public hearing on deportation: Monday, March 3 at 1pm at City Hall

When: Monday, March 3rd at 1pm
Where: City Hall, 4th floor, Rm 401
Who: PFUN (Philadelphia Family Unity Network)

Why: Philadelphia City Council will hold a public hearing on the impact of the collaboration between the Philadelphia Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The toxic relationship between local police and federal deportation agents has resulted in the unjust deportation of families and community members. Come to the public hearing, sponsored by City Council’s Public Safety Committee, to demand that Philadelphia stop complying with all ICE hold requests and show your support for an end to mass deportation in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Family Unity Network (PFUN) is a citywide community-led coalition (more info below) and we are asking the City of Philadelphia to stop honoring ICE holds, which are REQUESTS from ICE to Philadelphia law enforcement to hold someone who should otherwise be released. Holds are issued solely because of immigration status, are not criminal warrants, and are not reviewed by a judge before they are issued. This violates our community’s due process and our human rights, increases racial profiling, wastes precious city dollars, decreases public safety, and traumatizes families and communities.

PFUN is a coalition of grassroots community groups, advocates, and lawyers including 1Love Movement, Juntos, New Sanctuary Movement, Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), and Victims/Witnesses Services of South Philadelphia.