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Mayor Kenney Fighting For Sanctuary City Status

by Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney fears a state bill to punish so-called sanctuary cities more than Donald Trump's executive order on the matter.

He's pledged to the move on both fronts.

Republican state senators present the anti-sanctuary bill as a public safety measure. Mayor Kenney says he finds that "mystifying."

"Almost every police chief across the country, the Police Chiefs Association, has said that imposing these types of situations is less safe by driving undocumented but good-meaning people underground, afraid to report crime when they're victims of it or witnesses to it," said Kenney.

He says Philadelphia's position, that it won't share certain information with federal immigration officials, encourages undocumented people to co-operate with police.

The bill that passed the senate this week would withhold certain state grants from cities with that policy.

"It is very, very frustrating that Pennsylvanians are doing this to other Pennsylvanians," Kenney said.

He thinks the state bill could potentially cause more damage than the presidential order, which is vaguely worded and, as yet, has had no impact.

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