Pennsylvania city ends cooperation with ICE — but insists it's not a 'sanctuary city'

City council members in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, voted unanimously in late February to adopt a new ordinance that would effectively establish the city as a "sanctuary" for illegal migrants.

WGAL reported that the Lancaster Trust Act prohibits the city from cooperating with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in most circumstances.

The measure requires Lancaster to "maintain a welcoming city rating of no less than three stars from Welcoming America," the ordinance read.

Welcoming America is a nonprofit organization that helps "communities develop the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive."

In 2019, Lancaster was certified as a "Welcoming City" by the organization. Other certified cities include Baltimore, Maryland; Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

"[T]he City of Lancaster has welcomed immigrants since its founding in 1742," the ordinance continued. "[T]he City acknowledges that enforcement of civil federal immigration laws falls exclusively with the authority of the federal government."

Lancaster "encourages crime reporting and cooperation in the investigation of criminal activity, by working to assure that all persons, regardless of their actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status, feel secure that contacting or being addressed by members of the Lancaster City Police Bureau will not lead to an immigration inquiry," it added.

The measure noted that the city aims to provide a "culture of inclusion which values diversity" and "promotes equity."

City officials and employees are prohibited from inquiring about or disclosing an individual's citizenship status.

"[U]nder no circumstance unless required by state law, federal law, regulation, warrant, court order or subpoena, shall the City provide information to ICE regarding physical location, address or other information that would assist in locating a person for the purposes of civil immigration enforcement," the ordinance read.

Vice President of City Council Jaime Arroyo told WGAL, "The residents that contribute in our community, whether they're starting businesses, they're fulfilling jobs, and they're helping build our community, so we want to ensure that we are creating a safe environment, a welcoming environment."

County Commissioner Josh Parson stated that the ordinance effectively designated Lancaster as a "sanctuary city."

"Last night the Lancaster City Council apparently decided to bend a knee to the most radical, lawless portion of their constituency and officially become a sanctuary city," he remarked.

In a joint statement, Republican state Senators Ryan Aument, Scott Martin, and Chris Gebhard wrote, "We are extremely alarmed at the Lancaster City Council's decision to not cooperate with a federal law enforcement agency. Make no mistake, they are breaking the law and compromising the safety of Lancaster County residents."

The city council's unanimous vote was made just five days after a 22-year-old student, Laken Riley, was murdered in Georgia by an illegal immigrant.

"It is worth noting that the murderer had previously been arrested for another crime and subsequently released by authorities in New York prior to killing his victim," the Republican state senators stated. "While the historic crisis at the border is largely due to President Biden's failed immigration policies, this decision by the council only exacerbates the issue locally. It is tone deaf, dangerous, and worsens an already severe emergency."

A city spokesperson, Amber Strazzo Righter, told Lancaster Online that the ordinance does not designate Lancaster as a sanctuary city.

"While it is true that this ordinance aims to create a welcoming environment for immigrants and refugees in Lancaster city, it is important to clarify that this does not designate Lancaster as a 'sanctuary city,'" she said.

An ICE spokesperson told WGAL, "ICE's interior enforcement operations focus primarily on public safety threats and are most effective when there is a strong communication and cooperation with local law enforcement partners. Sanctuary jurisdictions are therefore inherently less safe."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!