The Obama folks have made a big show of wanting to limit detention and deportation to people who’ve had non-immigration run-ins with the police, so as to protect ordinary illegal aliens, who’ve violated “only” immigration laws, and identity-theft laws, and tax laws, and perjury laws . . .

Part of this plan has been trying to do a better job at finding deportable aliens in jails and prisons, through the Secure Communities program and similar efforts. Well, now the open-borders people are trying to obstruct even that. Philadelphia is expected to bar immigration agents from the access they now have to arrest data:

Philadelphia is expected to end the arrangement that permits federal immigration agents to scrutinize the city’s computerized list of arrests, including country of origin and other data, Everett Gillison, the deputy mayor for public safety, said Sunday.
Immigrant advocates say the year-old agreement between the city and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service, known as ICE, has resulted in deportation proceedings against immigrants arrested on even minor charges. Under the agreement, ICE agents can routinely access the city’s Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS). That agreement is up for renewal on Thursday.
“It is the mayor’s view that the PARS agreement should not be extended,” Gillison said, speaking at a South Philadelphia church meeting attended by more than 300 immigrants and their supporters.
He said there would be a formal announcement of the city’s position in the coming week, probably on Friday.
Mayor Nutter has expressed concern about the human rights of all immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
In a directive he issued a year ago, he barred municipal employees on official business from inquiring about the immigration status of any person, including, but not limited to, victims, witnesses, arrestees, and detainees.

Wait — isn’t a sanctuary measure like that a direct violation of federal law? Why, yes it is! So, when can we expect the Justice Department to file suit against Philadelphia?