The following piece was written by Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, and published by The Patriot Ledger on May 10, 2017.
Recently, the Trump Administration sent warning letters to officials in nine sanctuary cities across the country, cautioning that these jurisdictions may lose federal grant money unless they assist with federal immigration enforcement.
The warning letters follow a presidential campaign that targeted sanctuary cities, followed by a late January executive order threatening to strip funding from cities that decline to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
Massachusetts’ warning letters might have been lost in the mail – or maybe Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his Justice Department know that we would immediately “return to sender.”
Boston is one of about a dozen cities and towns in Massachusetts that have passed policies designed to build trust between immigrant communities and the local police by limiting how we are involved in federal immigration enforcement – and we’re proud of it. In communities like Boston and others, we’re committed to sending a clear message: immigrants are welcome here and they should not fear their local government.
We believe that now, more than ever, it is crucial that we stand with our immigrant neighbors and draw a clear line between the roles of federal immigration authorities and our local agencies and officials.
When local law enforcement focuses on keeping communities safe – rather than being part of the new, over-the-top, federal immigration enforcement efforts – we help our cities and towns thrive. In fact, crime is lower and economies are stronger in sanctuary localities.
Based on a recent ruling from a federal court in California, President Trump and Attorney General Sessions cannot strip federal funding from sanctuary cities and other safe communities simply because we promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion in our city.
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Date
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - 3:15pm
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During her monthly appearance on Boston Public Radio, ACLU of Massachusetts executive director Carol Rose recapped the arguments made in court this week about the constitutionality of local enforcement of ICE detainers and previewed upcoming breakthroughs for victims of the Annie Dookhan drug lab scandal.
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Thursday, April 6, 2017 - 11:45am
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On March 2, 2017, the Town of Dudley issued the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester a permit to move forward with their plan to build a cemetery in the town — a proposal that was met with contentious opposition by some residents, prompting a year-long legal battle. WBUR's David Boeri reports:
Lawsuits and a civil rights investigation followed, until both sides came to an agreement in December. But a hearing Thursday night was the first and critical test of that agreement.
Dudley Town Administrator Greg Balukonis said the process of getting to Thursday's hearing took a long time — about a year and two months.
"The process was difficult, but in the end the zoning board of appeals did the right thing," he said.
At the hearing it was clear that much had changed since last May, when the zoning board had denied the Islamic Society a permit in that very same room.
What followed the initial denial were several legal moves: a lawsuit filed in state Land Court; an investigation by the civil rights unit of the U.S. attorney’s office; a warning from the state attorney general’s office; and the entry of the American Civil Liberties Union, as well as an outside law firm, to join the Islamic Society in a claim that Dudley officials had denied the group's right to practice their religion.
The ACLU of Massachusetts is heartened that the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester is a step closer to being able to have its cemetery close to home and that Town leaders are welcoming that development. We, along with cooperating attorney Howard Cooper, were glad to assist in ensuring that the religious liberties and civil rights of all are protected. As a pioneer for freedom in our state, the ACLU will keep doing this work.
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Date
Friday, March 3, 2017 - 3:15pm
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