Waltham Is Now a 'Welcoming City' for Immigrants

WALTHAM, MA – A resolution designating Waltham as a "Welcoming City" for immigrants was approved by the city council Monday night. The proposal was introduced last month at a rally organized by Waltham High School students on the Waltham Common.

The designation does not define policy in Waltham – as Newton's "Welcoming City" ordinance did – but reaffirms the city's dedication to its immigrant community.

"Waltham is a community that has always been a welcoming community to all immigrants, going back to the Industrial Revolution," Councilor-at-Large Carlos Vidal said in a previous interview. "Regardless of where they were born, or their ethnic heritage, all immigrants are welcome in Waltham."

Vidal and Ward 8 Councilor Stephen Rourke were behind the original draft proposal. In backing the draft, City Council President Diane LeBlanc said the measure is an important step in letting young people know their fears aren't falling on deaf ears.

"It's important that we let our youth know that the city council is looking to do something," she said.

The resolution states "that the Waltham City Council declares its commitment to ensuring that Waltham remains a community that is supportive and safe for immigrants who have made Waltham their home."

Could this lead to future action? Vidal has previously posited the "Welcoming City" designation as a first step in future conversations with police, the mayor's office and other community members.

"I think something more could come out of it, but it'll require work and more dialogue among my colleagues and other departments in the city," he said in an interview last month.

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