Our democracy is at its strongest when people work together to make sure politicians do the job that we elected them to do. Grassroots organizing and building relationships that strengthen our communities is one of the most powerful ways that we can exercise our political power outside of casting a vote on Election Day.
There is no such thing as a perfect candidate for public office, but the expectation is that they will listen and be responsive to their constituents when they raise awareness around an issue and push for change.
Fortunately, here in Pennsylvania, we have a governor who has often been responsive to residents advocating for progress in the commonwealth.
But one area where Governor Josh Shapiro has failed to meet the moment is in allowing Pennsylvania to continue cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), even as the agency escalates the president’s cruel campaign against immigrants.
That’s why this week, people from every corner of the state joined an online day of action to #MeltICEinPA and urge Governor Shapiro to take steps to make it more difficult for ICE to operate in the commonwealth.
Since Trump took office in January of 2025, ICE arrests have quadrupled nationwide, with Pennsylvania among the top ten states that have seen the most arrests. The vast majority of these arrests aren’t for any legitimate public safety reason – they are meant to terrorize immigrant communities. ICE arrests aren’t making our communities any safer. Instead, they are tearing apart families.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Governor Shapiro can take action today to make it more difficult for ICE to terrorize our immigrant neighbors, family, and friends.
The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, of which ACLU of Pennsylvania is a member, put forward a number of demands to the governor that this week’s #MeltICEinPA action focused on highlighting, including:
- Stopping the sharing of state-managed data with ICE. The governor must ban ICE from accessing the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET), which describes itself on its website as Pennsylvania’s “primary public safety and criminal justice information broker.” Another Pennsylvania database that ICE has regular access to is the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network (CLEAN), which gives law enforcement access to data about Pennsylvanians’ driver’s licenses and criminal history. The governor could cut off unrestricted ICE access to these databases today and force ICE to get a judicial warrant every time the agency wants to use these tools.
- Issuing an emergency removal order to shutter the Abraxas Academy in Morgantown, PA, and secure the release of children being detained there. For years, the academy has been hit with allegations of neglect and abuse. As ICE escalates its targeting of immigrant children–many of whom end up at Abraxas–it’s time for the governor to finally close this institution.
Again, Governor Shapiro has shown he is willing to listen to those he serves and do the right thing on key issues, from speaking out against ICE warehouses to rethinking the development of data centers in Pennsylvania. Now it’s time for him to do everything he can to stop state collaboration with ICE.
And that’s what #MeltICEinPA is all about – making sure Governor Shapiro does the right thing to protect our immigrant neighbors and friends who call Pennsylvania home, as they are integral to our communities and the fabric of this country.
If you missed the action earlier this week, it’s not too late to send a message to the governor! Share this #MeltICEinPA post and urge your family and friends to take action too!
