Peabody Governor's Council Candidate Issues ICE Litmus Test Challenge

PEABODY, MA — Peabody City Councilor Annie Manning-Martin has pledged to vote to confirm only judges who agree to cooperate with ICE detainers in criminal cases if she is elected to the Governor's Council.

Manning-Martin, a self-proclaimed "conservative candidate" for Governor's Council, challenged her opponents — specifically Democrat Eunice Zeigler of Methuen — in the race to represent the 5th District, which includes the North Shore, Merrimack Valley and Greater Lowell, to match her pledge.

Manning-Martin is a 32-year corrections professional.

"The recent spate of activist judges ignoring ICE detailers and releasing dangerous criminal illegal immigrants directly into our communities demonstrate that these judges care more about preserving their political views rather than public safety, especially that of women and children, who have been the top target of murder and rape," Manning-Martin said in a statement to Patch.

Manning-Martin said judges who have defied ICE warrants are creating "grotesque miscarriages of justice."

Part of the duty of the Governor's Council is to confirm judges the governor nominates for state courts.

"It's a common sense position, but one that is not in keeping with radical positions she has already taken," Manning-Martin said of Zeigler, a former Methuen City Councilor.

Zeigler responded to Manning-Martin's challenge saying that she would "only support judges that uphold the constitution."

"I am running for Governor's Councilor, District 5 to leverage my 15-plus years in public service and community engagement to help bring more transparency to the office and resources to the district," she said. "I will only support judges that uphold the constitution. Doing otherwise could
prove unconstitutional and illegal.

"Furthermore, it would go against the Governor's Council's main duties to protect the judicial system."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)