Protesters call on Mayor Parker to emphasize Philly's sanctuary city status

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Immigration advocates are calling on Mayor Cherelle Parker to reaffirm Philadelphia's commitment to being a sanctuary city. They rallied outside City Hall on Tuesday, citing their fears for what would come with the pending Trump administration.

"(About) 240,000 folks (in Philadelphia) are immigrants, and --of that-- approximately 47,000 are undocumented," said Julio Rodriguez with Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition.

With December 10 also being declared Human Rights Day, the community organization Juntos organized a rally outside City Hall. They want Mayor Parker to make it clear that Philadelphia is and will remain a sanctuary city even under possible new immigration policies that could come with a second term for President Trump.

"We saw under his first administration, the city of Philadelphia had to take his administration to court to fight for our community," said Erika Guadalupe Nuñez, director of Juntos.

Asked about the issue at a different event, Mayor Parker's response put an emphasis on Philadelphia's current policy.

"The 2016 executive order for the city of Philadelphia, it still stands," she said. "I stand on that."

Philadelphia's Executive Order 5-16 was enacted in 2016 under Mayor Jim Kenney's administration.

It states that the city will only follow federal detainer requests by ICE for immigrants in custody if there's a judicial warrant and if it pertains to a person convicted of a violent felony.

Protesters don't just want the mayor to uphold the policy. They want her to expand it.

"Sanctuary is more than just ending collaboration with police and ICE," said Nuñez. "Sanctuary is making sure our kids can go to school without fear of systemic abuses without fear of deportation."

As they took their message to the ICE Office in Philadelphia, immigration advocates said they'd keep pushing to keep Philadelphia a sanctuary city.

"We want the administration to be clear publicly declaring our city to be a sanctuary city," said Nuñez.

City Councilmember Rue Landau also joined the rally. She has introduced a resolution authorizing the city to hold hearings on Philadelphia's protections for immigrants and other marginalized populations.