“We’re here today because our city is facing a crisis with the new presidential administration determined to roll back the hard-fought rights and protections of immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals and so many other marginalized communities,” said Councilmember Rue Landau at a hearing on Jan. 22 at City Hall. Landau and the Committee on Law and Government hosted The Trump Preparedness Hearing to explore the city’s ability to protect marginalized communities under President Donald Trump’s leadership.
“Today is not just another policy discussion,” she continued, explaining the meeting should be a catalyst for equipping Philadelphians to stand up for each other. “It’s also a collective call to defend the dignity, safety and very existence of those who too often have been pushed to the edges of society. Philadelphia — a city built on the bold idea of liberty and justice for all — must unite to combat whatever the coming months and years may bring.”
Since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, 26 executive orders were implemented and 78 of Biden’s executive actions were rescinded. Although many of these actions will be challenged in court, Trump and his allies hastily followed through on intentions to pursue their anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ agendas. Landau highlighted the quickness — noting that for vulnerable people, these policy announcements are “not merely headlines.”
Tech billionaires attended Trump’s inauguration and subsequent celebrations — potentially foreshadowing partnerships that benefit the mega-wealthy while harming average people.
“We already saw how our own legislative process was corrupted by billionaires during the arena fight. The threat of Trump is also the threat of an oligarchy. Our city has to get prepared for this reality,” said Councilmember Kendra Brooks. “My biggest concern is our own preparedness — particularly given the lack of information we’ve heard coming from the administration regarding their approach to Trump.”
“When can we expect something more concrete about the city’s approach?” she asked of the Parker administration, underlining that changes might need to be made to “beef up” protections.
Brooks underlined that the city lacks an executive director for the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs following Celena Morrison’s departure as executive director in November. She questioned the city’s preparedness given that this position and multiple additional leadership roles — including for the Office of Immigrant Affairs — remain vacant.
During the hearing, which lasted approximately three hours, city leaders shared insights about the Parker administration’s approach to combating the problems and threats these marginalized communities face. Community members also gave abbreviated testimonies.
Safety
One of Trump’s first actions was to pardon “virtually every person in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol,” reported NBC — an action that has worried marginalized people as extremists re-enter public spaces.
“The laws do not allow the president of the United States to pardon people who are found guilty under the laws of Pennsylvania,” said Bob Listenbee of the Office of the District Attorney, underlining that similar behavior would not be tolerated.
Advocates noted during public comment that LGBTQ+ people and immigrants often do not feel safe enough to report crimes or testify as witnesses because they fear negative consequences or legal ramifications.
“When people are forced into the shadows, bad things happen,” underlined Joe Hohenstein, who spoke about the important role immigrants play as visible parts of the community as well as his experience as the parent of a trans child.
Listenbee noted that the district attorney is beginning a process to develop new policies that will better support and protect LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.
“As a Black man who is also a proud member of the LGBT community, I’m very much aware of the long history of police violence and discrimination experienced by Black queer people, and the pain, fear and trauma it leaves behind,” said activist Asa Khalif.
Khalif — who noted that Black, queer people are now on alert more than ever because of Trump’s praise and encouragement of police violence — spoke about Nizah Morris, underlining that Morris, a Black, trans woman, who died in a suspicious manner was not protected by Philadelphia police and that officers involved in her case should be held accountable.
Nondiscrimination efforts
DEI-related federal workers were almost immediately placed on administrative leave as Trump revoked a 60-year executive order made by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 which prohibited discriminatory hiring and employment practices in government contracts.
Renee Garcia, Philadelphia’s City Solicitor, noted that the city has strong laws to protect the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized people against discrimination in employment, housing, or places of public accommodation which are enforced by the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.
But during public comment, advocates were quick to mention that current policies and protections do not go far enough.
LGBTQ+ rights
The Trump administration aims to remove trans people from all aspects of public life, explained Harper Seldin, a Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. He also highlighted the dozens of anti-trans bills introduced to the Pennsylvania legislature over the past few years.
Despite the perception that Philadelphia is a safer place for LGBTQ+ people, including trans community members, to live openly and authentically, Seldin underlined that they’re still at risk.
“It is not enough to say that Philadelphia is a safe place for trans people,” he added.
“Please don’t let this new administration put targets on our backs just because they don’t share or understand our gender experience,” said community member Deej McCoy.
“Philadelphia is a sanctuary, not just for its citizens, but also for the people of other cities and states whose leadership has failed them,” said Jadzia Axelrod, who previously served as Philadelphia Family Pride’s assistant director, about those who travel to the city from places where gender-affirming care is now illegal.
Axelrod asked leaders to commit to protecting access to all aspects of gender-affirming health care — even if providing that care goes against presidential orders.
“I want to make clear that a fight for queer rights without centering trans folks — who are under the most scrutiny at this moment — is unacceptable and a failure of organizational strategy,” said Zach Wilcha, CEO of the Independence Business Alliance — Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the first trans-specific job training and placement program in the nation. “We can and will do better in 2025.”
Diamond Anthony, a program coordinator at Galaei, emphasized that although many LGBTQ+ people are fearful about worsening conditions to come, they’ve already been struggling to access affordable housing, food, health services and other resources.
They reminded city council members of the city’s history of violence against activists, specifically highlighting the MOVE bombing and noted that following the recent arena vote, trust needs to be rebuilt between marginalized communities and city representatives.
“We’re going to be watching you very closely over the next couple years,” they said. “The midterms are coming up — so if you want to keep your job, I suggest you fight for your community members.”
Protections in schools
The school district has created an emergency response plan for safeguarding students who may be affected by federal immigration actions — but that plan currently instructs staffers to simply contact the school district’s legal counsel should a raid occur or ICE request be made.
Current policies are not necessarily followed as intended, explained Erika Guadalupe Núñez of Juntos — an immigration-focused organization, which leaves families vulnerable. For instance, the pregnant mother of a local student was picked up by ICE outside her child’s school.
Multiple advocates asked for the school district to implement more robust, formal policies and the Sanctuary Schools Resolution — recommendations introduced by Juntos in 2021, which Núñez noted would tangibly protect students and families. Many noted that all staff members should receive training — as Trump is likely to ramp-up anti-immigration efforts in “off-limits” spaces, including schools.
Dr. Jayme Banks, chief of student support services for the School District of Philadelphia, shared that anti-bullying policies explicitly protect LGBTQ+ students and staff. Banks also noted that students can use chosen names on all records, communications and in classroom settings and that students are permitted to use facilities and participate in programs that align with their gender identities.
But professional development regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion is only provided as-needed and only for specific staff members.
Kristina Moon, a senior attorney with the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, added that all staff members should receive comprehensive training about LGBTQ+ protections and urged the district to establish a policy to address Trump’s plan to change Title IX interpretations to exclude trans students.
An LGBTQ+ coordinator was recently hired and will begin working on Feb. 7 — so some of the district’s approaches might begin to change.
Reproductive and parentage rights
Although abortions are permitted in Philadelphia until 24 weeks of gestation, Evelyn Mangold of the Women’s Law Project, explained that certain constraints make them difficult to access — including a ban on Medicare coverage for these services, parental consent requirements and other obstacles.
She underlined the importance of implementing evidence-based, age-appropriate sex education in Philadelphia schools so that young people can become more familiar with not only their bodies but also their rights and the laws.
Mangold called Pennsylvania an “opportunity state” because an opportunity for progress remains. House Bill 1888, which would amend the state’s constitution to proactively enshrine full reproductive autonomy in Pennsylvania, hasn’t passed yet. The Women’s Law Project is also awaiting a ruling on a lawsuit that could grant similar rights.
House Bill 350, the Uniform Parentage Act — which establishes a more comprehensive and updated framework for establishing parentage — awaits confirmation in the senate. If confirmed, the law would be a major win for Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ+ parents and guardians, whose rights could be under threat during the Trump administration. Until then, new and hopeful parents are generally instructed to pursue contracts and confirmatory adoptions to secure their legal roles in their children’s lives.
Immigration
“Many feel that Philadelphia is no longer a sanctuary city — a place where they can live, work and thrive without fear,” said Jillian Gierke of the Garces Foundation. “Members of the LGBTQ community are terrified of being deported back to countries where they face violence and persecution.”
“Mayor Parker,” she pleaded, after explaining that various people fear pursuing everyday activities because they worry about deportations, “we urgently need your leadership and commitment to reaffirm Philadelphia as a sanctuary city.”
Philadelphia has two executive orders which protect immigrants. One protects people from being asked about immigration status under typical circumstances when receiving city services. The other blanketly denies ICE requests to detain immigrants in prison following release. But those executive orders have not protected all vulnerable immigrants — as ICE still operates in the city.
And the orders might now be less effective than they’ve been in the past. The Justice Department is now threatening to investigate and prosecute city and state officials who refuse to comply with Trump’s anti-immigration efforts. Reporting from the New York Times explains that Trump is planning to carry out organized raids aggressively targeting sanctuary cities — places like Philadelphia, which limits cooperation with ICE.
Philadelphia Immigration Court has heard 102,000 cases since 2019, explained a representative from the Defender Association of Philadelphia, who noted that only two part-time immigration experts are on staff. She requested additional funding for the program — as low funding significantly impacts the organization’s success in advocating for its clients. For instance, 65% of cases do not have legal representation, despite legal representation correlating with better outcomes. Asylum seekers made up 80% of those 102,000 cases, but just 45% were released and reunited with their families in the city.
“When we talk about these demographics, we tend to think of them as separate people,” said Zique Powell of the Black Visioning Group — a grassroots, solutions-focused collective that was born of the first Trump presidency. “But we have in our collective undocumented, Black, queer, trans Philadelphians.”
Solutions
Powell underlined that Black Visioning Group has been proactive in establishing systems that help them house, provide universal basic income to, and offer other programs to doubly marginalized LGBTQ+ people. She urged city council members to consider those intersections and think outside of the box when it comes to planning for solutions.
“Why not just give people money directly to live?” they asked. “Why not make developers accountable to the displacement they create?”
Powell underlined that there’s an opportunity within the hardships that the Trump administration is about to create to find new ways to show struggling Philadelphians that they are seen and valued.
“Let’s get creative. Let’s get radical,” they said. “Let’s get crazy.”
Councilmember Landau spoke with PGN after the hearing about how the city will combat the new administration.
“The fear is real and has seeped into the lives of the individuals and organizations that we heard testify on [Jan. 22],” Landau said. “Thanks to dynamic legal organizations and advocacy groups that we’ve spoken to over the months, we know that Philly is ready to fight back, no matter what Trump throws our way.”
This story has been updated to include a follow-up comment from Councilmember Rue Landau.
