On the heels of Congress funneling an additional $70 billion toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, state Sen. Lindsey Williams and other legislators have proposed a package of bills to protect sensitive places, such as schools, hospitals and polling places, from immigration-based arrests.
“People have the right to vote without fear or interference,” said Williams, D-West View, who represents multiple Alle-Kiski Valley municipalities. “The U.S. Constitution gives states the power to run elections, not the federal government.”
The suite of bills comes in response to the Secure America Act, signed by President Donald Trump on June 10, after it narrowly passed in the House by a vote of 214-212. The Senate approved the legislation June 5.
It follows the president’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which allocated $45 billion for ICE, now the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency.
Williams sponsored the Protecting Our Vote Act, a bill to prevent voter harassment and intimidation at polling locations. It is part of the ICE Out of Pennsylvania legislative package that also includes:
• Welcoming Schools: Ensuring PA Schools Are Safe Places for All Students, sponsored by state Sen. Katie Muth, D-Berks County. The bill would require school districts to have procedures for responding to immigration enforcement at schools and would increase schools’ accountability to families by helping to alleviate additional trauma or stress related to immigrating.
• Keep ICE Off Pennsylvania’s Property, sponsored by state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Delaware and Montgomery counties, that prevents civil immigration arrests made within 1,000 feet of state-owned facilities and those owned or leased by political subdivisions, unless authorized by a judicial warrant. Similar laws have been enacted and upheld in New York, Connecticut, Illinois and Washington.
• Welcoming Campuses: Protecting Students at Higher Education Institutions, to be sponsored by Muth and state Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, in coming weeks. Similar to the schools bill, it would protect students and school personnel from ICE enforcement on campus and also protect student privacy. The legislation would help universities and colleges prepare staff to respond appropriately if federal immigration officers arrive on campus.
Most of the bills have been referred to committees.
“We’re working with advocates, impacted communities, partners and our colleagues in the House who have similar legislation to move these bills through their committees and on to a vote in their respective chambers,” Williams said.
Saval said public resources should be invested in schools, healthcare, housing and accessible neighborhoods rather than in expanding “a deportation machine that tears families apart” and undermines trust in public institutions. He said the funding combats a Pennsylvania in which everyone can thrive.
“All of us know the hard work and sacrifice it takes to provide safety and stability for our loved ones and show up for our communities,” Saval said. “This is true whether we are lifelong residents of the commonwealth or whether we are among the 8% of Pennsylvanians who moved here from another country. The health and well-being of all Pennsylvania communities is directly connected with Pennsylvania’s immigrant communities, and the actions of ICE have harmed small businesses, hollowed out public spaces and left residents terrified.”
TribLive reached out to state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield. Ward’s spokeswoman, Erica Clayton Wright, said “these questions are best answered by Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, as he runs the floor.”
Pittman could not be reached for comment.
Williams, the only senator from Western Pennsylvania to sponsor the ICE Out bills, joined Saval and others in Harrisburg on June 9. They gathered with community activists to launch the legislation, which also included two bills to limit local ICE collaboration and two that would create avenues for justice. Other prime sponsors of the bills include state Sens. Carolyn Comitta, D-Chester; Art Haywood, D-Montgomery; Tim Kearney, D-Delaware; and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia.
About 4,800 Pennsylvanians were detained by ICE in the first three quarters of 2025, which is three times the number in the same period in 2024, according to the Deportation Data Project.
“Every person deserves to feel safety and belonging wherever they choose to live,” Cappelletti said. “Republicans in Washington think ICE belongs in Pennsylvania. They are sorely mistaken. Our united front not only sends our message loud and clear but shows just how important our work is for the communities we represent in every corner of the commonwealth.”
Jasmine Rivera, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, said the state “should not spend a single second or a single dime” of tax dollars to assist ICE.
“It is never the job nor the jurisdiction of local government to enforce federal immigration law,” Rivera said. “What communities actually need is affordable education, healthcare and housing. Let’s invest in that.”
Under federal law, armed law enforcement is prohibited from polling places to prevent intimidation and ensure people feel free to vote safely. State law also requires “peace officers,” posted near polling places in case of incident, to remain at least 100 feet from the polls, with certain exceptions.
Williams said her bill will add teeth to the current election code and “make clear that ICE agents cannot be at polls or ballot return sites.”
“I’ve heard from many constituents who are rightfully scared,” Williams said. “No one should have to walk past a masked and armed officer to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
“Your vote is incredibly powerful, and the federal government doesn’t administer elections, the state does. The federal government may try to enforce their will on Pennsylvania, but we have the final say on keeping voters safe, running smooth elections and making sure every vote counts.”