OPINION: Bring the Safe Communities Act to a Vote

This is an opinion piece submitted by Woburn Welcomes, a group which says its mission is to pursue positive civic change through education, collaboration, and political advocacy.

Time is running out for the Massachusetts Legislature to bring the Safe Communities Act to a vote - a clear opportunity for our state government to maintain the safety of Massachusetts residents and the integrity of our communities.

Over the first year of the Trump administration, we have watched as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has felt empowered to terrorize documented and undocumented communities alike through raids on and detainment of our immigrant family, friends, and neighbors across the country and across the Commonwealth.

We have also seen unprecedented pressure on state and local law enforcement agencies to devote time and personnel to assist in this crackdown, outside the duties our tax dollars pay for and the bounds defined by Massachusetts court rulings.

This type of enforcement makes our communities less safe. Undocumented residents or those with a single undocumented family member will hesitate to contact law enforcement or city services if they fear immigration action will result from calling in a tip or reporting an emergency.

This protects violent criminals and domestic abusers while punishing hard-working people who help build and support our communities.

The Safe Communities Act would prevent all of this by ensuring that our state and local tax dollars go towards fighting crime and ensuring public safety, rather than working to separate families and sow fear.

It would prevent law enforcement from allowing personnel to be deputized as immigration agents, and it would bar the use of ICE detainers in our state – unconstitutional detentions of people in contravention of their Fourth Amendment rights.

For all these reasons, Woburn Welcomes is proud to be one of the hundreds of local and statewide organizations that have endorsed this critical legislation.

Right now, though, the bill is currently bottled up in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security on Beacon Hill. This committee, which includes Woburn’s own State Representative James J. Dwyer, must first recommend the bill for a vote.

We need pressure on legislators, on committee members, and on House Speaker Robert DeLeo, to get this bill out of committee – the votes are there, but it needs to get to the floor for a vote by February 7th. Please contact your State Representative and State Senator today and ask them to fight for this bill. We certainly will.

State Senator Cindy Friedman, whose district includes Woburn, has co-sponsored this bill – call her office at 617-722-1432 and thank her for her support!

State Representative Jay R. Kaufman, whose district includes Woburn Wards 1 and 7, has co-sponsored this bill – call his office at 617-722-2320 and thank him for his support!

State Representative James J. Dwyer, whose district includes Woburn Wards 2 through 6 and who sits on the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, has not endorsed this bill – call his office at 617-722-2220 and urge him to help get this bill to a vote!