For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 29, 2026
Media Contact: Daniela Perez, [email protected]
ICYMI:
Philly Councilmembers Introduce “ICE Out” Legislation in Partnership with NDWA
NDWA and partners highlight how fear of surveillance and retaliation keeps immigrant families from work, school, health care, and city services, and why the ICE OUT package aims to protect data, spaces, and residents.
PHILADELPHIA – Today, Councilmember Kendra Brooks and Councilmember Rue Landau introduced the ICE OUT legislative package, with 15 out of 17 co-sponsors. The package was announced on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at a press conference featuring a coalition of community, faith, labor, and immigrant rights organizations.
At the Jan. 27 press conference, the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) joined partners to underscore what domestic workers and immigrant families already know: when people fear surveillance or retaliation, they avoid work, schools, health care, and city services – making the entire city less safe.
The ICE OUT package is a unified set of bills to strengthen Philadelphia’s ability to protect residents, safeguard data, and ensure city spaces and services are not used to fuel fear or surveillance.
The package includes provisions to:
- Protect community spaces and limit access to nonpublic areas of city-owned/managed sites
- Prevent city-owned property from being used as staging areas for immigration enforcement
- Strengthen limits on city collaboration and restrict agreements that deputize local enforcement for federal immigration enforcement
- Strengthen data privacy and restrict the sharing of personal data for immigration enforcement purposes
- Establish immigration or citizenship status as a protected class under the City’s Fair Practices framework
Sandra, an NDWA Pennsylvania member, shared: “We do work that makes all other work possible. What would happen in the city if domestic workers can’t do their job because of ICE aggression? This fear also means that, because they do not stand up for their rights or report abuse in the workplace, it makes abusive employers feel even more powerful because they can use the threat of ICE action to exploit immigrant workers.”
This effort builds on Philadelphia’s recent track record of worker protections, particularly protecting Philadelphia’s immigrant workforce. In 2025, NDWA helped pass the Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights (POWER) Act, a historic anti-retaliation law that strengthened enforcement and expanded protections for workers across the city.
Data from NDWA’s La Alianza domestic worker surveys – tracking Spanish-speaking domestic workers since March 2020 – shows that as immigration enforcement fears intensify, workers increasingly describe those fears as disrupting daily life and work, deepening economic strain, and compounding mental health burdens. For more, see NDWA’s 2025 Year-End Report.
Read More On:
Billy Penn: With raucous rally and legislation, councilmembers push back against ICE in Philly
Broad Street Review: Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau announce legislation to protect Philly from abuses by ICE
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly City Council members will soon consider seven ‘ICE Out’ bills. Here’s what the proposals would do.
NBC 10: Lawmakers show support as ‘ICE OUT’ legislation presented to Philly City Council
ABC 6: Elected leaders in Philadelphia unveil ‘ICE Out’ legislation
El Sol News: Philadelphia vuelve a movilizarse contra ICE y anuncian paquete legislativo “ICE OUT”
The Daily Pennsylvanian: City councilmembers to introduce legislation restricting ICE operations in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Inquirer: ICE tactics in Minneapolis set off political firestorm from Philadelphia City Hall to Washington
City and State Pennsylvania: City Councilmembers want “ICE OUT” of Philadelphia
CBS News: Philadelphia lawmakers to introduce legislation to limit how ICE operates in city
Philly Voice: City Council members lay out ‘ICE Out’ legislation that includes ban on agents wearing masks
NBC Philadelphia: Philly City Councilmembers unveil ‘ICE OUT’ legislative package
Axios Philadelphia: First Look: Philly lawmakers move to sharply curb ICE operations
Metro Philadelphia: ‘ICE Out’ legislation set to be introduced in Philly City Council
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National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the leading voice for dignity and fairness for millions of domestic workers in the United States. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color. NDWA is powered by over 70 affiliate organizations and local chapters and by a growing membership base of nannies, house cleaners and care workers in over 20 states. Learn more at
www.domesticworkers.org. NDWA is a non-partisan non-profit organization that does not endorse, support, or oppose any candidates for public office.
