Smith-Wade-El, legislators hold news conference to highlight reintroduction of legislation to create Office of New Pennsylvanians
Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz March 20, 2025 | 2:14 PM
HARRISBURG, March 20 – In the face of the Trump administration’s vilification of immigrants and unlawful deportations of immigrants, state Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila., and Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, held a news conference on Wednesday to highlight the reintroduction of their legislation to create an Office of New Pennsylvanians to support, attract and retain immigrants in the commonwealth.
“Pennsylvania welcomed William Penn from religious persecution in the 17th century, Blacks fleeing slavery in the 19th century, and today Afghans, Bhutanese, Ukrainians and others that are fleeing persecution, ethnic cleansing and war,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Instead of keeping to its values, Pennsylvania is scapegoating immigrant communities with punitive policies that are driving them out of the state.
“Economically, we can’t afford to lose them as they make up over 8% of our state’s workforce and pay $3.3 billion yearly in state and local taxes. As our population ages and many residents leave our state for other opportunities, we need skilled workers, entrepreneurs, consumers and community leaders to make sure that Pennsylvania continues to grow and thrive economically, culturally and socially and retains its electoral power at the federal level. But even more than that, we can’t afford to betray the values on which our commonwealth was founded.
“Pennsylvania needs an Office of New Pennsylvanians to ensure that these new residents are able to flourish in the commonwealth,” Smith-Wade-El said. “They need to know we have their back.”
According to Smith-Wade-El, the legislation would raze the maze of bureaucratic silos by establishing an Office of New Pennsylvanians that would be a one-stop-shop for benefits and resources for immigrants under the auspices of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
"As a proud Latina daughter of immigrant parents and public servant, I know firsthand the resilience, dedication, and contributions that immigrants bring to our communities,” Cepeda-Freytiz said. “This legislation is about more than policy—it’s about people. By creating the Office of New Pennsylvanians, we are ensuring that Pennsylvania is a place where immigrants are welcomed, supported, and given the opportunity to succeed. Our commonwealth thrives when we embrace diversity, and this bill is a step toward a stronger, more inclusive future for all."
“Immigrants are the biggest supporters of the American dream as our country has given them a chance to build something for themselves, their families and their communities,” Hohenstein said. “They are the biggest believers in American freedoms because many of them are refugees and came here to be able to enjoy American freedoms of religion, speech and others. In the face of persecutions of our immigrant populations by the Trump administration, we are called to stand up for newcomers and protect the U.S. as the land of opportunity and the home of the free. ALL Pennsylvanians benefit when we support our neighbors.”
A former refugee, Lancaster City Councilor Ahmed Ahmed said, “Immigrants are the backbone of our communities. As the country takes an anti-immigrant pivot, the House Democrats are standing up for the American dream where people on the margins can live in freedom and are spurring Pennsylvania’s economic growth.”
“Hard working immigrant moms and dads are being vilified on TV and terrorized in our neighborhoods,” said Shamaine Daniels, PA director of CASA, the national’s largest national immigrant justice membership organization. “Despite what the Trump administration would have you believe, our immigrant communities are essential to our country’s economic success and our culture’s flourishing. And, for PA, they are essential to ensuring we retain our electoral importance despite Pennsylvania’s rapidly aging population. I fully support this legislation which would help Pennsylvania remain true to the spirit on which our commonwealth was founded by helping to attract, retain and embrace immigrants. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
“It’s by doing the right thing by immigrants that we got this beautiful, unstoppable America that we have today,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Let’s get this done.”