Pittsburgh’s mayor Ed Gainey said his team will refuse the new Trump administration’s orders for local officials to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out deportations of illegal immigrants.
Gainey said his office will not cooperate with Trump’s plan and aims to do “whatever is necessary to make our city more welcoming.” Gainey is also in the middle of a re-election battle and seeks another four years as Pittsburgh’s mayor. His remarks came in response to a question after giving prepared remarks about the upcoming mayoral election.
“ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy,” Gainey said at the Monday press conference. “What it is going to do is create more situations where people feel scared. Where people don’t feel safe. Where people do things, they normally wouldn’t do.” Gainey called on the Trump administration to improve immigration matters by establishing an easier pathway to citizenship. He further called for Trump to “do it through legislation” and leave ICE out of his dealings with local officials. Gainey’s comments come a week after Philadelphia’s DA Larry Krasner made similar remarks about refusing to work with Trump’s team and ICE. President Trump responded to Krasner’s remarks by issuing quotas for the immigration department to increase arrests made in connection to illegal immigration, and by reminding local officials they are legally obligated to comply with the federal government.
Gainey has previously made comments to local news outlets about assisting people in Pittsburgh that have been impacted by Trump’s executive orders on immigration, and said he would work with local nonprofits in a conversation with CBS Pittsburgh. Trump’s executive orders within his first few days since returning to the presidency included tasking the military with enforcing his administration’s border policies, designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, and an attempt to end birthright citizenship, a battle he previously fought during his first administration.
Gainey endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 election and attended campaign events with the then-Vice President’s team on the campaign trail in Pittsburgh. He denied that Pittsburgh’s police department would be working with ICE to enforce Trump’s deportations, and accused the President of “hate, division and evil.” Gainey is the latest Democrat mayor of large sanctuary cities that have said they will not work with President Trump on immigration.
Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick released a statement in opposition following Gainey’s remarks against working with ICE.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey needs to follow the law and the lead of some other Democratic mayors who are working with law enforcement to keep our cities safe. Mayors will no longer get a pass for taking the law into their own hands – President Trump and his team will restore law…
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 28, 2025
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