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WHEREAS, the United States Senate will soon vote on H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, which includes $64.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and,
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WHEREAS, $10 billion of that funding will be allocated to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), adding to the tens of billions already allocated to ICE for 2026 by the Trump administration and Congress, and serving essentially as a “blank check” to ramp up and expand operations across the United States; and,
WHEREAS, Under the oversight of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, many ICE agents have engaged and continue to engage in lawless, cruel, and unconstitutional activities without accountability to Congress or the public; and,
WHEREAS, many ICE agents routinely violate the Constitutional rights of both U.S. citizens and non-citizen residents alike, including assaulting and pepper-spraying peaceful protesters; ordering people to stop recording officers in public places, then harassing, detaining, and arresting those who fail to comply; and forcing entry into private homes and businesses without a judicial warrant; and,
WHEREAS, in 2025, 32 people died in ICE custody - the highest number in more than two decades; and
WHEREAS, ICE agents under the direction of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, are committing an ongoing and escalating assault on the City of Minneapolis; and,
WHEREAS, ICE agents have used deadly force against 12 people during immigration enforcement operations since September of 2025, including U.S. Citizens Carlos Jimenez of Ontario, California; Renee Good of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Alex Pretti of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and,
WHEREAS, an off-duty ICE agent shot and killed U.S. Citizen Keith Porter of Los Angeles, California on New Year’s Eve 2025; and,
WHEREAS, nearly 1,000 Pittsburgh-area residents have been taken into custody by ICE since January of 2025 - more than triple the number of arrests in the previous year; and
WHEREAS, ICE is making the communities in which it operates demonstrably less safe - putting residents in danger and increasing the workload on already over-extended local law enforcement departments; and,
WHEREAS, Pittsburgh’s new Mayor Corey O’Connor and former Mayor Ed Gainey both committed publicly to the City’s non-cooperation with ICE; and
WHEREAS, it is the duty of Pittsburgh’s Mayor, City Council, the Department of Public Safety, and all our elected representatives to do everything within our power to protect the Constitutional rights and ensure the safety and security of all Pittsburgh residents; and,
WHEREAS, drastically increasing funding for DHS and ICE will only increase their ability to cause chaos and harm in communities across the country - including here in Pittsburgh;
NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby urges U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick as well as all United States Senators committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States and the Rule of Law to vote “No” on H.R. 7147, and to demand non-partisan and independent investigations into the activities of DHS and ICE in our communities.