Resources: Welcoming Communities

Cities and towns around the country are reacting to the Trump Administration's racially-motivated and inhumane deportation plans by refusing to be coerced into collaborating in such efforts.

Cities and towns cannot legally be forced to use their own resources to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws. They cannot be forced to turn over their own community members for deportation. They can, however, create policies that send a clear message: immigrants are welcome here and they should not fear their local government.

Whether you call it a Sanctuary City, a Welcoming Resolution, a Safe Community, or a Freedom City initiative, the following resources can help you advocate for good policies.

• Sample Policy
• Talking Points
• General local advocacy tips

• The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy (Center for American Progress)
• Searching for Sanctuary (Immigrant Legal Resource Center)

• Here Are the Sanctuary Cities Ready to Resist Trump's Deportation Threats (Mother Jones)
• Congressional letter to President Trump
• National Immigration Law Center's Toolkit
• The Government Is Trying to Name and Shame Local and State Police Departments That Won’t Do Their Bidding (ACLU)
• California Chief Judge asks ICE not to "stalk" courthouses to arrest immigrants (California Courts)
• The states’ rights that Trump doesn’t like (Washington Post)
• "Detained" (NPR's Latino USA)
• Local Immigration Enforcement and Arrests of the Hispanic Population (Center for Migration Studies)

Learn more about immigrants' right in Massachusetts