Date: 6/1/2017
I am writing to urge your support of the Safe Communities Act. We have a refugee family from Africa in our church. They have been faithful members since arriving in the U.S. in 2005. While this family came to the U.S. as refugees, not immigrants, their story is relevant.
They have had a deep impact on my life. The family came from Africa with seven children, including a severely handicapped infant. The parents have become naturalized citizens. Two of the children who are now seniors in high school will be attending four-year colleges with scholarships in the fall.
It has not been a smooth or an easy journey. Their faith and belief in the benefits of free public education through 12th grade have been large motivating factors. The father works full time. I believe that the majority of immigrants among us want what is best for their families.
Should they be punished just because some are undocumented? I have just learned that deportations of immigrants who have committed no crime other than being undocumented have risen 150 percent since last year.
The Safe Communities Act will have its hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security at the State House on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (or later)! This act is sponsored by state Sen. Jamie Eldridge (SD.1596) and state Rep. Juana Matias (HD.3052) The Safe Communities Act would protect the civil rights of all state residents by making sure our tax dollars are not used to help the Trump Administration deport immigrant families or create a Muslim registry.
This act would prohibit state support for any Muslim registry; ensure basic due process for immigrants detained in state and local facilities; ensure that police resources are used to fight crime, not separate families (state, local, and campus police cannot participate in federal immigration enforcement actions, including investigations, raids, or detentions); prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from being deputized as immigration agents; uphold constitutional standards and conform to federal law.
A number of Massachusetts municipalities have already enacted their own local safe communities ordinances, including Boston, Northampton, Amherst, Somerville, Cambridge, and Lawrence. I urge your support of this legislation. We have the opportunity to lead the nation in this effort .I believe it is the right thing to do and it is who we are as citizens of Massachusetts.
Mary Friedman
Longmeadow
