Philadelphia has become the first city to make medical deportations unlawful. On Thursday afternoon, immigration advocates and Philadelphia City Council members braced for the council’s vote on bill no. 230649, the culmination of three years’ worth of work. Then it passed, 14-1.

“I’m just really pleased that Philadelphia took a stand on the right side of this issue for immigrants,” said Adrianna Torres-Garcia, deputy director of the Free Migration Project. “This is a really beautiful way to start the year.”

Torres-Garcia stood shoulder to shoulder with those who had been working on the “End Medical Deportation” campaign for the last several years. Community members and representatives from the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, Juntos, and Temple Law were present and cheering.

However, several said this is just the beginning. The law will still need to be implemented into hospital and medical facilities’ policies, which takes time.