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Supporters rally for gay man detained by ICE, city shares memories of LOVE | Morning Newsletter

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Paul Frame shows emotion while speaking about his husband, who has been detained by ICE, as Miguel Andrade, Communications Manager of Juntos, back right, looks on at a press conference at the William Way Center in Center City.
Paul Frame shows emotion while speaking about his husband, who has been detained by ICE, as Miguel Andrade, Communications Manager of Juntos, back right, looks on at a press conference at the William Way Center in Center City.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer

Good morning, neighbors. Yesterday supporters and immigration advocates rallied behind Jose "Ivan" Noe Nuñez Martinez, a man detained months ago by ICE while at an immigration meeting with his husband. He has yet to receive a hearing, so organizations across Philly are demanding his release, just as the city wages its own battle against federal immigration authorities. In other news, an outpouring of love followed yesterday's news of artist Robert Indiana's death. Unsurprisingly, the City of Brotherly Love has many fond memories with Indiana's famed LOVE statue, and many adorable pictures to boot. My favorite's in this very newsletter; let it warm your heart this morning.

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— Aubrey Nagle (@aubsn, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Supporters demand freedom for gay man detained during immigration meeting

In January, Jose "Ivan" Noe Nuñez Martinez was arrested while he and his husband met with federal immigration authorities to try to resolve his status. He's yet to have a hearing, so supporters gathered at the William Way LGBT Community Center Tuesday to demand his freedom.

Leaders of Juntos, Galaei, and the ACLU, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community also announced they're filing a federal complaint on Martinez's behalf.

Just this month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they arrested 49 immigrants in the Philadelphia region in seven days. They said 14 of those arrests were of people the city had released from jail despite ICE lodging detainers against them. The city and federal governments are currently battling in court over whether Philadelphia must comply with ICE detainers.

» READ MORE: Philly remembers LOVE artist Robert Indiana

When news spread Tuesday that artist Robert Indiana, the creator of Philadelphia's iconic LOVE sculpture, had died, notes of, well, love for Indiana came pouring in.

Of course, the sculpture has seen plenty of engagements and kisses beneath its famous silhouette. But it's also been seen in other locales, too, from Israel to (not coincidentally) Indiana.

Penny Balkin Bach of the Association for Public Art says the statue symbolizes "what we hope for, cherish, and memorialize." But the city didn't always love the LOVE. Frank Rizzo's bureaucrats almost lost the statue, but Sixers owner Fitz Dixon saved it.

» READ MORE: Public schools need $700M, Hite and Kenney say

Mayor Jim Kenney made some strong statements at a news conference Tuesday about how elected grown-ups must come to the rescue for Philly kids and their schools.

But City Council isn't so sure about the $700 million in additional funding in Kenney's proposed budget, which would almost certainly come with a property-tax hike.

Kenney and Philadelphia School District superintendent William R. Hite Jr. also alluded to recent Inquirer and Daily News reporting on environmental hazards in schools. Without the money, Hite said, their plans to clean up the mess are at risk.

What you need to know today

  1. A few weeks ago residents lined up around the block to clear their Philadelphia Parking Authority tickets during a temporary amnesty program. Was it worth it? Participants loved it but the PPA… well, they're not so sure. Speaking of which, the PPA is once again pushing for a 50-cent tax on all ride-share trips in the city.

  2. Beloved former Eagle Brian Dawkins is leaving the organization's front office for an all-new adventure, this time in philanthropy. In other Eagles news, not all the Birds want to fly to the White House for a visit, but Carson Wentz (who insists he'll be ready for the regular season) says if his teammates go, he'll be there.

  3. A billboard along the Schuylkill is blocking the view of a new CHOP building, so they want it moved — and Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. suggests relocating it to Fairmount Park. Of course, park advocates are not pleased.

  4. Congress moved Tuesday to roll back the Dodd-Frank Law, a framework created to prevent a recurrence of the 2008 financial crisis. The bill to dismantle the rules heads to President Trump's desk next, where it's likely to be signed.

  5. North Broad Street is about to get another refurbished gem: the Metropolitan Opera House is set to reopen this December.

  6. Chef Jose Garces won a victory in court yesterday. He's free to file for bankruptcy on his popular restaurants Amada, Village Whiskey, Tinto, and the Olde Bar while wading through his many other legal battles.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

In honor of the late artist Robert Indiana, we asked readers to show off their favorite photos with the LOVE sculpture. This proposal shot from @BobCaton is just too sweet!

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s Interesting

  1. Tired of throwing away their cheap "fast-fashion" clothes, two Port Richmond entrepreneurs are trying to make retail resale cool with a very on-trend plan: subscription boxes.

  2. The Phillies missed their chance to snag sole possession of first place in the National League East last night after losing to the Braves. It would have been the first time since 2011. Womp, womp.

  3. Thanks to online DNA testing service 23andMe, a Texas woman just learned she has four half-siblings in Philly. Intrigued? Some say DNA testing should be part of your annual physical.

  4. After columnist Helen Ubiñas told the story of Jalil Frazier, a Philly man who was shot and paralyzed while protecting a group of kids, support and funds poured in from readers across the country.

  5. Happy hour doesn't need to be a high-alcohol affair. A new book by a local food writer explores session cocktails with less alcohol for easy drinking.

  6. Mark your calendars, '90s kids: Double Dare, the wacky Nickelodeon game show which filmed in Philadelphia, is back with Philly's own Mark Summers in tow.

Opinions

"It's time for America to accept that this brand of gun violence is inextricably linked to white male privilege." — Columnist Solomon Jones on the most recent school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.

  1. A New Jersey school printed "party like it's 1776" on tickets for its prom inside the National Constitution Center and, as columnist Jenice Armstrong writes, stumbled into a conversation about race and the foundations of America in the process.

  2. In light of another school shooting, Bryan Leib, a Republican nominee for Congress in Pennsylvania's Third District, says school safety starts with placing armed veterans in every school in America.

What we’re reading

  1. Farm-to-table is so 2014. The latest trend in Philly fine dining is sourcing ingredients from your urban rooftop garden, reports Philadelphia Weekly.

  2. The Associated Press has obtained a new cache of emails showing top President Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy was at the center of a secret lobbying effort to undermine the Pentagon's relationship with Qatar. Their report is a must-read.

  3. Cambridge Analytica, shmambridge schanalaytica. Slate wonders why Americans are so nonplussed by reports that wireless carriers are able to track any cell phone at any time —  and are pretty lax about security.

  4. Why are succulents everywhere, from Pinterest-perfect bedrooms to your office desk? Blame social media, a drought, and (ugh, of course) millennials, according to the Ringer.

Your Daily Dose of | History

A young preservationist couple bought the historic Upsala mansion and turned it into a modern home. The catch: each year they have to hold a Revolutionary War reenactment.