May. 04, 2016
NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA– State Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) today criticized Mayor Jim Kenney for rejecting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson’s request for Philadelphia to reverse its status as a “sanctuary city.”
“No one can argue that reversing sanctuary city status is about partisanship when the Obama administration’s own secretary of Homeland Security is the person making the request to end sanctuary status in our city,” White stated. “This is our nation’s top security person saying that sanctuary cities hurt the Department of Homeland Security’s abilities to keep our families safe, and it saddens me that the mayor has chosen to put politics ahead of common sense on this issue.”
“As I have stated since this issue arose in Philadelphia, I fully support immigration for people who follow the law to come to our great country and city. What I do not support is providing what amounts to a get out of jail free card to criminals who prey on our residents. As elected officials, we should be upholding the law at all times and, if we disagree with a law, working to change it in the proper manner.”
White, who has been criticized by some advocates of illegal immigrants for authoring legislation that would support federal law, stood by her efforts.
“My legislation focuses on only one issue: upholding federal law as it applies to illegal immigrants – from any country – who break the laws of the United States. While certain activists want to push their own agenda have tried to twist this simple fact to suit their own purposes, it is still a fact,” White stated. “I stand by this legislation as something that is needed to help protect the people of Philadelphia from crimes committed by those who are here illegally, and I know that the residents of my district stand with me, as does the Department of Homeland Security.”
“This isn’t about politics or partisanship, it is about the safety of Philadelphia’s residents,” White concluded.
Representative Martina White
170th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
RepWhite.com /
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