It’s Friday, Philly. Today may bring clouds and light wind, but Eagles fans and kickers should beware: Wind gusts of 40 mph are possible during Sunday’s playoff game.
In dozens of cases, federal judges in Philadelphia have ruled against a Trump administration policy that mandates detention for nearly all undocumented immigrants. The pushback has added to a chorus of similar decisions in federal courts nationwide.
And Regional Rail service is creeping back to normal. Still, packed trains and skipped stops persist on some lines, frustrating commuters.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Philly judges push back on ICE
A mandatory detention policy rolled out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last summer has been found unlawful dozens of times by Philly-based federal judges, as well as in courts across the country.
The ICE directive has dramatically boosted the number of immigrants being held in detention — including those seeking to stay in the United States through legal channels — past 65,000, a two-thirds increase since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
Under Trump, it has also gotten harder for detainees to be released on bond, especially those without the money to hire a lawyer and sue.
Notable quote: “They are doing it because they can, and because the consequences are that most [immigrants] cannot fight this and will end up being deported,” a local immigration attorney told The Inquirer.
Reporters Chris Palmer and Jeff Gammage explain the dramatic change in precedent.
In other ICE news:
- Hundreds gathered at Philadelphia City Hall Thursday evening to protest the killing of a 37-year-old woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
- District Attorney Larry Krasner on Thursday condemned the ICE shooting and vowed to prosecute law enforcement officers who commit crimes in Philly.
- The Trump administration is jailing migrant teens in a Berks County facility known for child abuse, a Washington Post investigation found.
- Avelo, the only commercial airline serving Wilmington’s airport, has ended its contract flights to carry foreign nationals detained by U.S. immigration agents.
Rebounding Regional Rail
Following a rough year for SEPTA and its riders, the transit agency reports improvements to its Regional Rail service, with more to come.
🚆 The big picture: Regional Rail trains are operating with fewer canceled trips and running with more cars.
🚆 By the numbers: As of Thursday, 180 of the 223 Silverliner IV cars the transit agency was mandated to inspect and repair have been cleared to return to service — though only 78 have actually returned.
🚆 On the way: Packed two-car trains and skipped stops persist on some lines during peak travel times as SEPTA continues to add cars, including 10 passenger coaches leased from Maryland’s commuter railroad.
Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald has more.
What you should know today
- U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County and two other Pennsylvania swing-district Republicans joined Democrats in voting for Affordable Care Act subsidies Thursday.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro kicked off his reelection campaign in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, asking voters to choose “getting stuff done” over “chaos.” Ahead of a likely matchup between Shapiro and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, here’s what to know about the stakes.
- A former Philly fire deputy alleges he was framed for sexual harassment after he exposed overtime fraud — and that the city is hiding reports that show it.
- Another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of victims of the explosion at a Bucks County nursing home on Dec. 23 that left three dead and about 20 people injured.
- An Ephrata man has been charged with stealing more than a hundred skulls and bones from Mount Moriah Cemetery, which straddles Philadelphia and Yeadon.
- Abington Library has offered a safe space for LGBTQ+ kids for years. It’s now the subject of a far-right misinformation campaign on social media.
- Ocean City’s planning board unexpectedly deadlocked on a vote involving the defunct Wonderland Pier boardwalk property, another blow to a luxury hotel proposal.
- Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law banning cell phones in New Jersey public schools from “bell to bell” in an effort to help students focus on learning.
- Though it’s legal to buy cannabis in Delaware, you can still be arrested for smoking it in public. A new bill might change that.
Plus: What makes something a unit block in Philadelphia?
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on an urban planning term you might have heard in news reports: “unit block,” used to describe certain addresses in cities that operate on a grid, as Philadelphia does.
The term might appear when a report wants to communicate where an incident happened without giving the exact address. Here’s the full story.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🦅 Heads up, Eagles fans: It’s playoff time in Philadelphia, which means you probably have a lot of questions about the Birds. Eagles beat reporter Olivia Reiner is ready to answer them during a Reddit AMA in r/Eagles today. Join the conversation at 9 a.m.
🧠 Trivia time
Which article of clothing or accessory did CBS Philadelphia anchor Jim Donovan set the Guinness record for having the largest collection of?
A) Socks
B) Beanies
C) Tie clips
D) Ties
Think you got it? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re …
🥼 Heeding: Health officials’ call to get vaccinated as flu cases surge in Pennsylvania.
🏈 Delighted by: The history of the rowdy Eagles-49ers game that led to Eagles Court.
📺 Hoping for: A second season of Delco-set Mare of Easttown.
💻 Recycling: Old electronics the right way, according to e-waste experts.
🌈 Considering: How lies feed attacks on transgender and nonbinary people.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: 300 acres in the Delaware River
DENSITY SPLAT
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Steve Cameron, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Sing Us Home. Now in its fourth year, the music festival will be staged on Venice Island in Manayunk from May 1 to 3.
Photo of the day
This good pup hopes you have a pleasant weekend (probably) and so do I. Paola has you covered with the news Saturday and Sunday, and I’ll be back with you Monday. Till then, be well.
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