1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

The current administration's plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants is inhumane and will severely disrupt the US economy. Immigrants, including those without legal status, play a vital role in key industries like construction, agriculture, and technology. Their removal would exacerbate labor shortages, cause crippling delays, drive up consumer prices, and damage our food supply chain. Historically, when the federal government pursued policies considered unjust, states have exercised their rights to refuse cooperation. During the 1850s, many northern states resisted assisting with the Fugitive Slave Act, which compelled the return of escaped enslaved people, by passing "personal liberty laws" that criminalized state support for the law's enforcement. In that spirit of protecting residents from harmful federal overreach, you should reject any request from the administration to use state resources like local law enforcement or the National Guard to carry out mass deportations. Doing so would not only avoid complicity in this destructive plan, but uphold your duty to prioritize the wellbeing of our state's people and economy over misguided federal policies. I urge you to take a firm stand against any attempted mass deportations by denying all related assistance.