Amid Threat Of ICE Raids, Boston Will Protect Immigrants: Mayor

BOSTON — Although Massachusetts cities are not on the list of cities the Trump administration has indicated will be a target for possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids this weekend, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said his administration is working to protect residents.

"We need to put human dignity first and end practices that aim solely to separate the families that are an integral part of our community," he told Patch in an emailed statement. "Placing fear in the hearts and homes of our immigrant families across the country is not an immigration plan, and it does not represent our American values."

Walsh administration officials said the city has not been made aware of any immigration raids in Boston, but pointed out that the mayor and his administration are taking proactive steps to make sure residents know their rights. The city's Office of Immigrant Advancement recently sent out an email to some 280 community partners outlining such rights and contact information.

The mayor also recently made amendments to Boston's 2014 Trust Act, which sets limits for police cooperation with ICE. In Boston, police aren't supposed to arrest someone based on their immigration detainer requests or status, unless ordered by a court.

ICE was ordered to track down at least 2,000 immigrants who have been previously ordered deported starting Sunday, according to The New York Times. Ten cities are on the potential target list, according to information circulated by the office of U.S. Sen. and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. No Massachusetts cities were on the list.

The commonwealth has been the target of ICE raids before, however. Agents have visited many Bay State counties since President Trump took office in January 2017. In 2017, ICE arrested 50 immigrants in Massachusetts during a four-day operation. The following year, 58 people were arrested across New England, including in the Bay State, during a similar targeted raid.

Last month a judge blocked federal immigration authorities from arresting people suspected of living in the country illegally at Massachusetts courthouses during an ongoing lawsuit challenging the practice.

Gov. Charlie Baker recently filed legislation that would create a policy to allow certain detainers to be honored so local, state and federal officials can collaborate on public safety. This session, a similar bill was filed in the Legislature and the administration continues to support the detainer policy.

“The Baker-Polito Administration believes federal law enforcement should focus on taking dangerous criminals off the streets and proposed legislation to allow local and state law enforcement to work with federal officials to detain individuals convicted of violent crimes," Baker said in a statement emailed to Patch.

Still, ahead of planned raids this weekend across the country, some say local leaders should do more.

"Baker and Walsh and the entire political apparatus could do a lot more than they currently are. Drivers license is for immigrants would be a great first step to a safer community for all of us," said Jason Giannetti, a Brookline lawyer specializing in immigration law. "And even though the mass health system is in theory accessible to immigrants, there still are many obstacles for people who are undocumented to get on it and it takes a very long time and there are very few programs to help people navigate that system."

He is behind "Action for Immigrant Lives," an event and collaboration between the ACLU, Families Belong Together, Jobs with Justice and Not1More Deportation. Saturday they're hosting a series of Immigration rights based workshops on the heels of planned vigils planned for Friday.

Tom Davis, Patch staff, contributed to this report.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).