Pennsylvanians: Tell Governor Wolf to Commit to Vetoing S.B. 10.

S.B. 10, which would make sanctuary counties and cities illegal in Pennsylvania and strip funding from jurisdictions that do not comply with ICE requests, has passed the PA Senate and is likely to pass the House. This legislation is problematic on humanitarian grounds. But it also undoes the benefits of sanctuary policies, including improving community relations with the police.

Governor Tom Wolf has not yet committed to vetoing S.B. 10 if and when it makes it to his desk. Contact Governor Wolf and tell him: preserve sanctuary policies in the state of Pennsylvania.

Dear Governor Wolf,

I am writing to ask you to please commit to vetoing S.B. 10, which would make sanctuary counties and cities illegal in the state of Pennsylvania, and strip funding from jurisdictions than do not comply with ICE requests.

Immigrants, even undocumented immigrants, are an asset in the state of Pennsylvania, contributing both to the diversity of the state and to its economy. As of 2013, undocumented immigrants paid nearly $140 million in taxes in Pennsylvania. And according to the University of Arizona’s Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, they are, as a group, significantly less likely than the general population to be involved in criminal activity.

Sanctuary status is an important measure for improving public safety, allowing undocumented immigrants to report crimes to the police without fear of arrest and deportation. It allows children to go to school. It keeps families together. And it allows families and communities to plan for their future without the threat of having that future taken away.

Sanctuary policies, like those implemented in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, are important both on moral grounds and for the economic well-being of the state. And I am asking you to fight to preserve the ability of cities and counties to make that commitment.

Best,

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