Resolution - Safe Communities ACT and Legal Defense ACT — File 25-0460

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS LEGISLATION, INCLUDING THE SAFE COMMUNITIES ACT AND THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE ACT WHEREAS: Massachusetts and the City of Somerville are home to thousands of immigrants, many of whom pay taxes and contribute to our economy; and WHEREAS: The American Immigration Council estimates that 18.1 percent of the Commonwealth’s population is foreign-born, accounting for a significant portion of the state’s labor force, including jobs in healthcare, STEM, and entrepreneurship; and WHEREAS: Senator Jamie Eldridge and Reps. Priscilla Sousa and Manny Cruz have reintroduced legislation, SD.1670 and HD.3816, prohibiting law enforcement from being deputized as immigration agents; and WHEREAS: Furthermore, the legislation, “An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents,” known as “the Safe Communities Act,” would prohibit law enforcement from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status without their consent; and WHEREAS: In addition, Senator Adam Gomez and Reps. David Rogers and Frank Moran have reintroduced “An Act ensuring access to equitable representation in immigration proceedings”, SD.2057 and HD.4072, also known as “the Immigrant Legal Defense Act”; and WHEREAS: The Immigrant Legal Defense Act would create a fund to provide immigration legal services to eligible immigrants and refugees who lack access to legal representation and are facing removal proceedings from the US; and WHEREAS: More than 50 percent of immigrants in Massachusetts lack legal representation in immigration court, and those with attorneys are 10 times more likely to win their cases; and WHEREAS: The fund created by this bill would support the work of nonprofit organizations equipped to provide these immigrants with attorneys; and WHEREAS: The Somerville City Council has a long-standing commitment to protecting immigrant communities, including through the city’s Trust Act and sanctuary city policies; and WHEREAS: This body is committed to ensuring that Somerville remains a welcoming city and stands against policies that would lead to the separation of immigrant families; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Somerville City Council supports the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act and the Immigration Legal Defense Act, and urges the state legislature and Governor Healey to enact these laws and expeditiously protect our immigrant families from being separated.