AMHERST — Town leaders continue to reaffirm its status as a sanctuary community, even as the Trump administration is threatening to cut off funding to any city or town not complying with the federal government’s immigration efforts.

Amherst officials recently reiterated a November 2024 statement “that we continue to welcome new immigrants to our great nation and to our community. We encourage immigrants and their families to build lives in our community, as many of our ancestors have done.”

A statement was also released on behalf of Town Hall and the Town Council that “the town maintains this unwavering commitment to the safety and security of all of our residents.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in early February that sanctuary communities and states would lose federal funding.

But Amherst officials say that without knowing what is being targeted, it’s unclear what money is at risk.

Rani Parker, who chairs the Human Rights Commission, said the commission fully supports the town in protecting the safety and security of all Amherst residents.

Parker added that the effort to pause federal funding is absurd.

“It’s outrageous that people have to live in fear without basic protections and that we have to be threatened with not receiving our fair share of federal funds, which are our monies, by the way, funds we paid into the federal government coffers through taxes over lifetimes.”

On the Same Page

A novel that served as the basis for the Academy Award-nominated 2023 film “American Fiction” will be the featured text for the Jones Library’s 13th On the Same Page community reading program.

A series of events are already underway related to Percival Everett’s “Erasure,” which will conclude with an author event at Amherst College’s Johnson Chapel on Feb. 28 at 5 p.m., as part of the college’s annual LitFest.

“American Fiction” will be screened on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library.

Then, Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the library’s Amherst Room, University of Massachusetts professor Jimmy Worthy and library staff member Linda Wentworth will lead an in-depth discussion about “Erasure.”

The author event, which is already sold out, will include Amherst College President Michael A. Elliott leading a conversation with Everett, professor of English at the University of Southern California, “American Fiction” actor and college alumnus Jeffrey Wright and writer/director Cord Jefferson. Go to mherst.edu/about/literary-amherst/litfest to register, with other viewing options that could be made available.

Copies of “Erasure” can be borrowed from the Jones Library and branches, requested and checked out from the C/W MARS library catalog, or purchased at Amherst Books in Amherst.

A complete list of programs is at joneslibrary.org/onthesamepage.

Amherst DEI deconstructed

As part of the Judy Brooks Conversation Series, and put on by the League of Women Voters of Amherst Racial Justice Committee, a public discussion about diversity, equity and inclusion and the challenges these initiatives are facing in the second Trump era takes place via Zoom Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.

Pamela Young, director of the town’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Philip Avila, the assistant director, will discuss what DEI means and how it is being implemented and supported in Amherst in a challenging political climate.

The town department was approved by Town Council in December 2021 and began to address the town’s needs for social equity in the summer of 2022. DEI staff members assist and support the work of the Community Safety & Social Justice Committee, the Disability Access Advisory Committee, the Human Rights Commission and the Resident Oversight Board working group.

To register and join the conversation, go to lwvamherst.org.

History Bites lectures

The Amherst Historical Society is beginning its History Bites lunchtime lectures for late winter and early spring on Feb. 28 at 12:30 p.m. at the Bangs Community Center, with Emma John talking about “Interning at the Amherst History Museum.”

All talks will be at the Bangs and are free and open to the public, though may be canceled or postponed if there is inclement weather.

The lectures continue March 14, when Bryan Harvey will talk about exploring the mill sites of North Amherst; March 28, when Josh Shanley focuses on the great flood of 1936; April 11, when Suzannah Muspratt chats about stained glass in Amherst; and closes April 25 when Elizabeth Cardaropoli discusses 125 years of the Amherst Historical Society.

All presentations are free and open to the public.

Pilgrimage site

The Newman Center’s Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel is one of seven sacred sites in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield being designated as a special place of prayer for pilgrims during the so-called Jubilee Year.

The pilgrimage site is the only one in Hampshire County. In Franklin County, the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel on the campus of Thomas Aquinas College in Northfield is also such a site. Bishop William D. Byrne celebrated a mass at Newman, located on Thatcher Way at the edge of the UMass campus, on Feb. 10.

Held at least once every 25 years, a Jubilee Year is a time for forgiveness of sins, thanksgiving, joyful celebration and pilgrimage. The Jubilee Year formally began when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.

Meetings

MONDAY: Local Historic District Commission, 3 p.m.; Design Review Board, 5 p.m.; Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.

THURSDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.; School Committee, hearing on fiscal year 2026 budget, 6:30 p.m., high school library.