EASTON, Pa.– At its Wednesday meeting, Easton City Council tabled a resolution supporting and protecting immigrant communities.
The resolution (page 40) “suggests” city officials and employees should not provide an individual’s citizenship or immigration information to any federal immigration enforcement agency officials unless required by federal or state law or court order.
It also calls on the Trump administration to take action on immigration reform.
The resolution’s introduction, by Councilmember Roger Ruggles, listed the country’s history of welcoming immigrants and their contributions, called for a clear path to citizenship, and urged for immigrants to be treated with dignity — echoing a similar resolution proposed by Ruggles and passed by City Council in 2017.
“Just basically saying nothing’s been done. What are you doing?” asked Ruggles, referring to the federal government.
But proposed edits to the 2025 version of the resolution’s language and intent sparked lengthy debate Wednesday night, particularly among Councilmembers Frank Pintabone, Taiba Sultana and Ruggles.
Ruggles said the intention was to pass a statement indicating the city’s stance on immigration, which would spur other cities and municipalities to do likewise. However, City Council members could not agree on how to accomplish this.
Councilmember Crystal Rose motioned to table the resolution due to disagreements about the bill’s language. The table was approved by a 6-1 vote with Sultana dissenting.
The resolution, which was tabled, would be sent to President Donald Trump, U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, along with 21 other cities across the nation asking them to sign in agreement.