Thursday, January 29, 2026-Philadelphia city leaders are pushing a bold and highly controversial legislative package known as “ICE OUT,” designed to sharply limit how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can operate in the city and to deter federal immigration enforcement actions seen as harmful to local residents.
The plan is being championed by progressive city council members and backed by Philadelphia’s district attorney as a direct response to a surge of immigration raids in other parts of the country and intense public concern about federal overreach.
The “ICE OUT” legislation would go well beyond existing sanctuary policies by codifying strict limits on ICE activity: it would prohibit ICE and other federal agents from concealing their identities with masks or unmarked vehicles, ban all collaboration between city agencies or employees and ICE, and bar the use of city‑owned property such as parks, libraries, and shelters as staging grounds for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Councilmembers also want to protect personal data by stopping city agencies from collecting or sharing citizenship or immigration status information that could assist federal enforcement.
Supporters say the plan will send a powerful message that Philadelphia is committed to protecting immigrant communities and resisting what they call “fear, surveillance and violence” from federal immigration authorities. Opponents including legal experts and some city officials warn the measures could trigger major court battles over local authority versus federal law, and raise questions about constitutionality, especially around restrictions like banning masks for law enforcement officers.
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