Courthouses are the backbone of our Commonwealth’s legal system where thousands of Pennsylvania residents go daily to attend summons, testify as witnesses, resolve civil matters, and work towards United States citizenship. Unfortunately, in recent months federally deployed, armed, and masked agents have turned courthouses, courthouse grounds, and nearby parking lots into ambush sites. These arrests not only disincentivize individuals from accessing the due process to which every person present in the United States is entitled but also threaten the safety of our communities as domestic violence and sexual assault survivors or witnesses to criminal acts are too afraid to show up to court, letting perpetrators off the hook.
 
As we’ve seen in recent months and learned definitively on January 7th, there must be guardrails to protect Pennsylvania residents’ rights as it concerns these federally deployed agents. Our legal and democratic systems must remain safe and available to all or our democracy fails. Accordingly, we are introducing legislation that would provide urgently needed protections from civil arrest on courthouse grounds and Commonwealth properties. Under these bills, agents performing a civil immigration arrest must clearly identify themselves and produce a signed judicial warrant. Warrantless arrests made on courthouse grounds or Commonwealth property would result in contempt of court proceedings or civil liabilities for the arresting officers.
 
These actions by the federal government terrify many in our communities. No Pennsylvanian should have to fear being seized and taken into custody while attempting to avail themselves of their constitutionally protected right to due process under law. We must ensure that our institutions are safe for all Pennsylvanians.
 
Please join us by co-sponsoring these important pieces of legislation to ensure the sanctity of some of Pennsylvania’s most important institutions and to ensure that the rule of law is respected in our Commonwealth.