This week, the administration of the mayor of CHELELLE L. Parker will start interviewing the candidates to become the executive director of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs, a thunderous position that was empty since the unexpected resignation with Amy Eusebio days after President Donald Trump took office.
The managing director in Philadelphia Adam K. Thiel said on Wednesday the city council that the administration has “many candidates” to manage the office, and interviews were to start on Thursday evening.
“We want to make sure that we will receive the best person for this very key role,” said Thiel at the hearing on the city’s budget.
The unexpected departure of Eusebio caused a vacancy in the office, which is to be a connector for the community of immigrants from Philadelphia, just like Trump returned to the White House with a program covering mass deportations and taking criminal activities against organizations and local governments that try to support immigrants.
Her deputy will have to become a exquisite balance between the fulfillment of the office’s mission-“promoting the prosperity of the Philadelphia immigrants community”, according to the city’s website of Parker’s cautious approach to the second Trump administration.
Parker, a moderate democrat, avoided direction of combat rhetoric in Trump, will probably avoid putting Philly on the president’s crosshair, and faced pressure to be more thunderous.
However, she said that all existing urban policies to protect immigrants remain in place-in particular, Philly is the so-called city of the sanctuary, which means that she refuses to support federal enforcement of immigration law-and Thiel repeated this obligation on Wednesday when he is questioned by legislators.
“We suggest to continue the package of services that we provided as a city with city financing,” said Thiel.
»Read more: The administration of the mayor of Parker claims that the policy of the city of Sanctuary remains despite the threats from Trump
Council member Jamie Gauthier asked Thiel if the administration would consider the proposal to raise the financing of legal services of immigrants and transfer these functions from administration and to the Defender Association in Philadelphia, which operate regardless of the administration of the mayor and employing public defenders well referring to customer service with various immigration status.
The proposed budget of the city of Parker for the financial year, which begins on July 1, covers an raise in USD 450,000 for the Immigrants Office to raise financing for two non -profit organizations that provide a legal advisor for immigrants, social legal services and the Unity Family Family project. Supporters sought even more raise to $ 1.3 million.
Thiel said that the administration was open to negotiating financing levels and consider the transfer of legal services to the Public Defenders’ Office. He said, however, that the administration was to wait for Parker to call the up-to-date executive director before making a decision, adding that these questions would be “the first business order”.
Thiel’s comments have largely repeated what the chief of Parker’s staff, Tiffany W. Thurman, said, at the hearing last month with a potential transition to the defenders’ office.
“We are not against it, but we will not make decisions until we are in the place of the director of the OIA,” said Thurman.
Eusebio resignation, which was appointed by former mayor Jim Kenney to run an immigration office in 2019 estimates 50,000 people in Philadelphia without legal immigration status.
Gauthier, one of the more progressive voices of the Council, called the administration to respond to Trump with greater need on Wednesday.
“You mentioned that we have the same support,” said Gauthier to Thiel, “But the world is not the same. The world has changed a lot in the last three months, and in the immigrant community there is terror.”
Thiel said that the city would continue to follow the movements of the White House, but he noticed that the interaction of the federal government with the inhabitants of Philly “is not something that is in our ability to control”.
»Read more: How much can Philly lose if Trump limits funds to cities? Here’s what you need to know.
A member of the Rue Landau council, also a progressive democrat, conducted a hearing at the beginning of this year, probing the city’s readiness for the second term of Trump.
“For many of us, what is happening to the communities marginalized in Philadelphia is deeply, deeply felt,” said Landau. “This is painful, terrifying, terrifying and we hope that our city can react in a way that is not irregular emotional.”
Staff InRiter Anna or contribution to this article.
