Even as President Trump’s order closing American borders to refugees and travelers from some Muslim countries has provoked angry protests and political strife, a Hampshire County community has been grappling with the question of how much to welcome immigrants who lack the legal authorization to live, work and raise their children here.
The way Easthampton deals with this question matters as much as its ultimate resolution. We urge residents and officials to keep their hearts and minds open to each other — and to people who are just the latest arrivals in a nation built by immigrants and refugees.
For some communities, including Northampton and Amherst, the decision to declare themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants has been relatively simple. In those liberal and affluent towns, people quickly embraced the idea of declaring that local police and other resources would not be devoted to helping federal officials locate people without papers and likely deport them.
In Easthampton, the discussion has been far from harmonious or clear. A “sanctuary city” proposal brought forward this winter sparked vehement objections from some longtime residents and others who fear the move could cost Easthampton federal funding (a threat made by Trump) and increase the population of those who have not followed a legal path to citizenship.
Echoing Trump, some even fretted aloud (without any evidence of increased crime) that such immigrants threaten public safety.
The debate took a particularly ugly turn with a Facebook post by city resident Ben Renaud to the Easthampton MA Group Page, which has more than 3,000 members. Renaud, a 29-year-old former Marine, was stirred to speak by multicolored signs distributed by the Good Neighbors Project that say — in English, Spanish and Arabic — “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor.”
“I see a lot of these fruity signs being put up all over town,” Renaud wrote. “Let’s be clear. Not everyone is as welcoming as these signs. If you are an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, I do not welcome you! It’s not a race thing, it’s a legal thing. If you are an immigrant from some war torn shole and you come here expecting us to cater to your personal beliefs, I do not welcome you!”
Renaud’s post sparked a fierce online debate, echoing one playing out in public meetings and the letters columns of this newspaper. At a packed meeting last month, supporters of the “sanctuary city” idea asked their neighbors to find compassion for immigrants who are fleeing poverty and political violence, who can’t wait for the years-long process of becoming legal American residents.
“We are people, too,” said resident Ruth Tirado, whose family immigrated to the United States. “We bleed the same color.”
Interestingly enough, Tirado’s words echoed some in the inaugural speech by Trump, who paid lip service to uniting a nation divided by political, economic and racial discord. But just as Trump’s early actions as president have only served to deepen those divisions, so have fearful and bitter sentiments too often driven Easthampton’s debate.
At this point, the city could resolve the issue in one of three ways: Mayor Karen Cadieux could follow the lead of Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and issue an executive order instructing police and other city officials not to cooperate with federal roundups, which could become more common under Trump. (In reality, such an order would simply reinforce existing practices of city police.)
Alternatively, the City Council could pass a resolution or possibly an ordinance making such non-cooperation official city policy. Or, the question could be put to residents in a citywide ballot.
Given the large number of residents who have spoken against the sanctuary declaration, it would seem unwise for Cadieux to move ahead on her own. The City Council is a different matter; its representatives were elected by the people to take on difficult issues and, after weighing the pros and cons, make a choice. Councilors might be tempted to take the safe route of scheduling a popular vote, but that could be time-consuming and expensive — and, as the recent presidential results showed, leave resentments still to smolder.
We urge councilors to invite a full range of views, and to set a tone of respectful listening and humane replies. Once the people have been heard, we hope Easthampton will declare itself a city of welcome. And if the president decides to cut off federal dollars as a result, well, Easthampton will have plenty of company in the fight.