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The Harrisburg City Council voted unanimously Tuesday (February 24) to pass legislation that bars city employees and police from using local resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement — marking the first time the city will have a formal, citywide policy on the matter.
According to CBS 21, the council approved Bill 1-2026 by a 7-0 vote after more than an hour of heated public comment, with protests raging both inside and outside city council chambers.
The ordinance prohibits city employees from asking about a person's citizenship or immigration status unless required by state or federal law. It also bars the detention of anyone based solely on a civil immigration detainer or administrative request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, the bill bans city employees from giving advance notice of a person's release to immigration authorities, and it blocks the use of city funds, property, or data to assist in investigating, detaining, or arresting anyone over their immigration status.
As reported by ABC27, federal immigration agents must now obtain a judge-signed warrant to access non-public city facilities — such as courthouses or government buildings — or to reach individuals held in city custody. Any city employee who violates the ordinance will face disciplinary action under their union's governing policy.
The bill also includes a framework banning the collection and storage of immigration-related data. As CBS 21 noted, council member and public safety officer Ausha Green explained the reasoning behind that provision simply: "Specifically, the less data we collect the less they can ask for."
The legislation grew partly out of comments made by Police Commissioner Thomas Carter at a January council meeting, where he acknowledged that officers had responded to immigration detainers by holding individuals so that ICE could take them into custody. That admission prompted councilmembers to begin drafting the bill.
City communications director Mischelle Moyer had previously said ICE had not formally asked local police for assistance. "We don't cooperate with ICE or not cooperate with ICE," she told ABC27. "You know, we don't get in the way of federal jurisdiction."
Dozens of residents packed the chambers Tuesday night, with opinions divided sharply along ideological lines. Supporters argued the city has a responsibility to protect all residents, including immigrant communities. Keith Bentz, a Harrisburg resident who spoke in favor of the bill, put it plainly: "Our taxes should not be used nor our police force or any physical plant that is run by our local government to support US federal policies that aren't welcome here."
Others pushed back forcefully. One man who spoke against the bill argued, "We had the national election 14 months ago. A big factor had to do with the fact that our country is being invaded by illegal immigrants." At one point, a supporter of the bill left the chambers and shouted profanity-filled remarks through the open door, briefly disrupting the proceedings.
According to FOX43, council members debated several amendments and consulted with the city solicitor throughout the session to ensure the bill's language stayed within the city's legal authority and would not expose Harrisburg to potential lawsuits.
The bill now goes to the desk of Mayor Wanda Williams, a Democrat, who has 10 days to sign it into law. Council members confirmed that even with the bill's passage, discussions surrounding immigration policy in Harrisburg are expected to continue.