City Council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt an ordinance declaring Reading a welcoming city.
The ordinance formalizes existing policies intended to ensure that all residents are treated equitably regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
The measure, supported by Mayor Eddie Moran, prohibits city officials and employees, including police, from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status or cooperating with federal immigration enforcement agencies unless required by federal or state law or a judicial order.
Because Moran was unable to attend the meeting, Managing Director Jack Gombach read a statement on his behalf following the vote.
“I am proud to have introduced the Welcoming City Ordinance, and I want to thank Reading City Council for their support in voting to approve it,” the mayor’s statement read. “I wanted Reading to live up to its values as a city where every resident feels safe, respected and at home. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and this ordinance reaffirms that we all stand for dignity, fairness and opportunity for all.”
Moran said the unanimous vote reflected the community’s spirit and shared commitment to unity.
“Together, we showed what makes Reading so special,” his statement said. “When we stand together as one community, we are standing stronger, kinder and more unified.”
The ordinance formally codifies practices already in place within city departments, Gombach said.
“It codifies, in essence, what the Police Department has already done internally through policy and guidance since 2013,” he said. “And our view, not too different from what you’re seeing in communities across the commonwealth, is finding opportunities to codify practices so that they transcend administrations and ensure that future mayors, future councils and future police chiefs follow the law.”
While the ordinance prevents city police from assisting federal immigration enforcement operations, it does not restrict federal agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from carrying out their own duties within Reading, nor does it affect the Berks County Sheriff’s Department if it cooperates with federal officials.
Shaykayarira Delrio-Gonzalez, a member of the Reading School Board, said the law is not meant to shield violent offenders but will instead protect innocent families and children from living in constant terror.
“This ordinance ensures that our local police stay focused on local crime, not federal immigration enforcement,” Delrio-Gonzalez said during the meeting’s public comment period.
“It makes it clear that Reading police will not enter into agreement with ICE so families can call 911 without the fear of being torn apart. This ordinance is about safety, stability and humanity. It is about maintaining local control, allowing law enforcement to focus on violence prevention, youth safety and the well-being of our neighborhoods, not federal immigration duties that were never meant for them.”
Reading resident Daniel Cortez speaks during Reading City Council’s meeting Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, where a Welcoming Ordinance was passed unanimously. (Abigail English – Make the Road Pennsylvania)
Several other speakers also addressed council, all expressing support for the measure and emphasizing that it would promote trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
The meeting room was filled with residents and advocates, including members of Make the Road Pennsylvania, which has supported the proposal since its introduction Oct. 13.
In a statement issued after the vote, Make the Road co-executive director Patty Torres called the ordinance a vital step toward ensuring safety and justice for city residents.
“We are celebrating our local government’s decision to protect our most vulnerable residents and their refusal to be complicit in vicious attacks that make every person less safe,” Torres said. “Local police and elected officials are not required to help ICE, and their limited resources should be focused on keeping our communities safe, not doing the job of federal immigration enforcement.”
Councilman Jaime Baez said the action sends a message of solidarity with city residents.
“It is symbolic; it is a firm stance that we stand with our community and our residents,” Baez said. “We must be courageous to stand up, and we must be courageous to use our voice, especially for our residents and those who are vulnerable. That is what we were elected to do, is to stand up for our community and to be the voice of our community.”
Council President Donna Reed called the vote an affirmation of human dignity and urged leaders in surrounding communities to take similar action.
She credited the administration and city solicitors for addressing questions about the legislation before its passage.
“We can be a leader here in the city of Reading with this ordinance, moving it forward and doing the right thing,” Reed said. “But if you live in another municipality, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Shillington, West Reading, join us. Have some respect for the folks who live in your neighborhoods, because Berks County is a very diverse county. We can’t just be the doughnut hole. We have to radiate out all the goodness that’s going to happen here.”