HARRISBURG — Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, speaking one week after President Donald Trump took office with a promise to deport immigrants who entered the country illegally, said on Monday his administration will not work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“I am not going to be working with ICE. My administration will not work with ICE,” said Gainey, speaking in a downtown Harrisburg hotel to the Pennsylvania Press Club. “We will do whatever is necessary to make our city more welcoming.”

Gainey — familiar with Harrisburg because he previously served nine years as a state lawmaker — is running for reelection to once again lead Pittsburgh for four years. On Monday, he described his belief that the city has made major strides during his three years as its leader, including positive moves in affordable housing, public safety, neighborhood revitalization, and securing commitments for a 10-year, $600 million downtown revitalization plan.

His statements on immigration came after he finished his prepared remarks and was asked about the topic.

Pittsburgh, Gainey said, was built on a welcoming attitude.

“ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy. It's not going to do it,” he said. “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.”

He avoided answering a question about the controversial proposed takeover of U.S. Steel by a Japanese-owned company, calling it more of an Allegheny County issue than a city one. He said he would support positions taken on the issue by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.

And he called for big non-profit organizations that have a legal waiver on paying taxes to come to the table and negotiate some sort of payment plan, in lieu of taxes. “Sit down and let's work out an agreement,” he said.

Gainey was elected to the state House for a two-term in 2012 and was reelected to four more terms after that. He resigned at the end of 2021 following his victory in the Pittsburgh mayoral election over Republican Tony Moreno. Moreno lost the primary election running as a Democrat but got enough write-in votes to make the November ballot as a Republican.

This year, Gainey is seeking reelection, and Moreno is running again — this time in the Republican primary — in an attempt to unseat Gainey. The mayor is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor.

Several months after Gainey's resignation from the state House, Democrat Martell Covington won a special election to take over the House District 24 seat representing a portion of Allegheny County. Shortly after that, Covington was defeated in the primary election by now-state Rep. La’Tasha Mayes. Mayes was reelected last year.