Residents urge York City Council to act on immigrant protections as ICE activity concerns grow

Several residents used the Feb. 17 public comment period at the York City Council meeting to press the council for concrete protections and follow-up for immigrant communities.

Ruby Manzo told the council she and other community members want more than “affirmations” from elected officials and asked the council to identify a point of contact for next steps. Manzo referenced a 2024 proposal she described as a welcoming act and said advocates want the council to take action “so that the people here in the city feel safe.”

Alyssa Jackson, who said this was her third consecutive meeting, warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity is rising in Pennsylvania and said the threat to the community requires a grassroots response. She closed her remarks with the succinct exhortation, “Ice out.”

Other public speakers made similar appeals. Lester Abbott praised the Walker administration’s decision not to support a February agreement with ICE and framed his opposition in stark terms. Tyler Nell and other commenters described humanitarian concerns for people in detention centers and urged more community support.

The council did not take immediate legislative action on immigration policy during the meeting. Several council members and the mayor later noted they intend to coordinate with each other and with administration staff to address immigrant-community needs, and one council member said she hopes to work with the mayor on revisiting protections such as the trust act that had been vetoed in 2025. The mayor also noted ongoing administrative work on transparency and staffing that officials said would support follow-up.