Change In Nutter's Policy On Working With Federal Immigration Authorities Is Official
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In what is likely to be a purely symbolic gesture, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter has revised his executive order on notifying federal authorities about illegal immigrants in city custody.
The mayor has agreed to provide release dates for offenders, under certain, narrow circumstances.
The mayor says he's upholding his end of an effort to get federal officials to end a harsher policy, that included warrantless holds.
"I made a commitment to the president of the United States of America that if you ended that program, I would in fact take a second look at the previously issued executive order."
The new order says release dates would be provided only for inmates federal authorities specifically asked about who'd been convicted of first degree felonies or are on terrorism or espionage watch lists.
"Ultimately, this is about public safety and we're very concerned about protecting all Philadelphians and making sure everyone is safe."
But immigrant advocates continue to oppose any reporting and mayor-elect Jim Kenney has said he'll go back to the original order when sworn in, in less than two weeks.