I was dismayed to read Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano’s recent comments about ICE’s Operation Patriot 2.0. In a recent news report, Spilka stated “I will say my communities are very concerned,” and Mariano: “People are asking ‘Is it going to happen to us? They live under this fear.” Sounds like they “get it,” right?
Yet according to the reporter, “both top Democrats stopped short of suggesting they might take action on bills aimed at ensuring basic legal protections and barring local law enforcement from being deputized in such efforts.” When asked whether the legislation was an appropriate remedy, Mariano said “I don’t know if it’s a year for that. You know, the issue of enforcing immigration laws is a purview of the federal government.” And Spilka, asked the same question, replied “Massachusetts has been clear that we will help … ICE if and when there are criminal issues.” Criminals. Sure.
ICE claims they arrest only criminals. So how come according to the official ICE website, only about half of those taken in Operation Patriot 1.0 last May had been “charged with or convicted of crimes?” And nationwide as of Sept. 7, 71% of current detainees have no criminal convictions (https://tracreports.org/immigration/quickfacts/)! Looks to me like Spilka and Mariano are saying, “we know there’s a problem, but we won’t take action.” We can’t let that stand! Write your state representative and senator today and demand they work to pass the Safe Communities Act and Dignity Not Deportations!
David Roitman
Florence