Councilor Doesn't Want Worcester To Be 'Sanctuary City,' Groups Rally

WORCESTER, MA – More than 600 Worcester residents are expected to rally at 6 p.m. at Worcester City
Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 31, in a show of solidarity and support for all Worcester immigrants and
refugees, according to an announcement.

The rally in part is in response to a resolution offered by City Councilor Mike Gaffney that would officially declare that Worcester not be a "sanctuary city." Mayor Joseph Petty is planning to address the demonstrators, according to Statehouse News.

The rally is being organized by SURJ Worcester (Showing Up for Racial Justice) and supported by many
community organizations. The goal of the rally is to show the community's commitment to "being a welcoming place for refugees and immigrants, the majority of whom are survivors of political persecution, violence and economic displacement in their home countries."

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prevent travelers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen who are not U.S. citizens from entering the United States for 90 days.

"This community will reject any elected official’s positions that incite uncertainty and fear," said the release. "The community will not allow divisive statements, laws or resolutions nationally or locally to go unchallenged. It will stand by the statements of Mayor Petty that we are a welcoming city. A broad base of religious and community organizations, coalitions, and allies are calling on our community to show our strength in numbers for a city that continues to strengthen our support for all our immigrant and refugee families."

At the City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilor Councilor Konstantina Lukes offered an order requesting the city manager come up with a recommendation to establish "a policy of cooperating with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding requests/detainers to our Police Department to hold non-citizens who have been arrested for the commission of a crime so that federal officials can take them into custody," according to Statehouse News. This policy wouldn't apply to those seeking asylum, refugees or those with visas.

The rally has been endorsed by:

ACLU of Central Massachusetts
American Muslim Democratic Caucus
Black Lives Matter Worcester
Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO
EnjoinGood.org
Episcopal Churches of Worcester (ECOW)
Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement (EPOCA)
Main South Community Development Corporation (CDC)
Massachusetts Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
Massachusetts Human Rights Committee
Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition Central Region
Mosaic Cultural Complex
Muslim Community Link
NAACP
Progressive Worcester
SEIU Local 32BJ
SEIU Local 509
SEIU Local 1199
SS. Francis Therese Catholic Workers
Stone Soup
Transformative Culture Project
UFCW 1445
Worcester Community Labor Coalition
Worcester Interfaith
Worcester Refugee Assistance Project (WRAP)
YWCA of Central Massachusetts

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