The neighboring cities of Easthampton and Northampton this week separately reassured the public that local police do not direct, control or participate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.
The statements, signed by each city’s respective mayor and police chief, were posted one day apart from each other — Northampton on Wednesday and Easthampton on Thursday. Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby said it was coincidental.
The statements come amid a wave of state and national responses by lawmakers to recent ICE enforcement actions, and both use identical language at several points. Leaders in both communities seek to educate the public on differences between state and federal law, while showing they remain committed to following those laws.
“The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, along with aggressive and violent enforcement activity there and in other states, including neighboring Maine, have shocked communities nationwide,” Northampton officials said in their two-page statement signed by Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, Chief of Police John Cartledge and Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Merridith O’Leary.
“These events reflect a troubling escalation and have understandably generated fear and uncertainty, including here in Northampton,” the statement states.
The “reaffirmations” emphasize each city’s previous commitments to sanctuary and welcoming policies, approved by city councils in both communities. They come in the wake of President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announcing many federal officers are leaving Minnesota — about 700, or a quarter of the total deployed there. The decision comes after U.S. citizens Good and Pretti were killed during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis last month.
In Massachusetts, 23 state senators sent a letter to Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell on Jan. 30, urging her administration to increase preparation in the event that an operation like the one in Minneapolis comes to the Bay State.
Just a day before that letter was sent, Healey announced on Jan. 29 that she filed legislation aimed to keep ICE out of courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches, among other actions.
While decisions are being made at the state level, Easthampton and Northampton’s actions are just two of many by Massachusetts communities. They both reaffirm a commitment to inclusion and sanctuary in response the actions in Minneapolis.
“Northampton city leadership shares the deep concern expressed by Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell,” it states. “As state leaders have made clear, the federal government has broad authority over immigration enforcement, but that authority does not extend to violating constitutional protections.”
In a statement last week, Northwester District Attorney David Sullivan Recent said the events involving federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, Maine, and beyond should “concern every person who cares about public safety, constitutional rights, and basic human dignity.”
“The rights to free speech and political protest enshrined in the First Amendment are not conditional; they do not disappear or dissipate in moments of political tension or crisis. My office will always stand in defense of the Constitution and the rule of law, and we will not remain silent when government power, at any level, is used in a way that undermines them,” Sullivan said.
In Boston on Thursday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order providing direction to city officials on how to protect residents from illegal federal overreach, among other orders.
As Wu and state legislators ramp up efforts to deter ICE, Derby said he is fearful that similar actions that happened in Minneapolis could happen in Massachusetts.
“Absolutely,” Derby said when asked if he is fearful ICE actions could come to Massachusetts. “This federal administration is so unpredictable and so vindictive that I do not have any doubt that this could happen here.”
Derby said he and Easthampton Police Chad Alexander met and decided to make a formal statement regarding the city’s stance on ICE operations after seeing a request from the public.
“It’s important as ever to reaffirm what America is and what America is about, which is not murdering citizens on the street,” Derby said. “That sounds a lot like tyranny to me.”
Easthampton’s statement reads, “In light of increased federal immigration enforcement activity across the country, and the fear and uncertainty these actions have created, we want to clearly explain what this means locally and how Easthampton will respond within the law.”
Both messages seek to share the “Rule of Law,” and that under Massachusetts law, local police do not detain individuals solely on civil immigration detainers, inquire about immigration status during routine policing or use city resources to carry out federal immigration enforcement actions.
Northampton’s statement says civil immigration enforcement is different from criminal law enforcement, since civil immigration violations are not crimes under Massachusetts law. In the case that a judicial warrant is presented, they are treated as they would be for any federal agency.
“This distinction protects individual rights, preserves the integrity of local law enforcement, and reduces legal risk for officers and municipalities alike,” Northampton states.
Both cities make the distinction that local officials will not interfere with lawful federal actions. Northampton’s statement refers to the city’s most recent affirmation of commitment to inclusion and sanctuary in 2024. Under different ordinances, Northampton is a sanctuary city and Easthampton is a welcoming community.
Both cities say that they will be working with state partners and legal counsel to ensure city departments and employees have clear guidance on their responsibilities with additional training and preparation underway.
Material from AP News was used in this article.