Hundreds of public comments urge Bethlehem council to adopt 'welcoming city' protections; council says policies under review

Dozens of residents and students used the council’s public‑comment period Feb. 24 to press Bethlehem officials to draft and adopt a municipal ordinance to codify protections for immigrants and prohibit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement beyond what law requires.

Speakers called for policies that would bar city employees from asking about or recording immigration or citizenship status, prohibit voluntary assistance to immigration enforcement and require clear, public‑facing guidance in multiple languages. Many referenced Allentown’s recent ordinance (Bill 4) as a model and asked council to move quickly because of recent, well‑publicized nationwide immigration enforcement actions.

Why it matters: petitioners said codified rules would protect residents — including workers, students and families — from deportation and retaliation, strengthen trust between immigrant…