Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed six of the seven "ICE Out" bills passed by city council — legislation designed to protect immigrant communities by limiting ICE operations, securing data privacy, and banning discrimination based on immigration status. It was a significant step. But she stopped short of signing the seventh bill.

Bill 260060 would ban law enforcement from wearing masks or using unmarked vehicles during public interactions — a transparency measure aimed at ensuring that anyone conducting enforcement operations in Philadelphia can be identified. Mayor Parker declined to sign it, citing legal concerns raised by the City Solicitor about the city's authority to regulate federal officers.

The bill will still become law without her signature. But Philadelphia deserves a mayor who stands fully behind every tool her city has built to protect its residents — not one who distances herself from the most visible accountability measure in the package the moment legal pressure appears.

Councilmember Rue Landau, who co-introduced the legislation, said the city anticipated legal challenges and drafted the bill to withstand them, applying the mask ban universally to all law enforcement — not just federal agents. The city has said it will fight any lawsuit that comes.

Mayor Parker should add her name to the bill and send an unambiguous message: Philadelphia will not allow unidentified agents to operate in its communities without accountability.

Sign this petition to call on Mayor Parker to sign Bill 260060 and complete the ICE Out package.

Photo AP