By Sarya Baladi
The past year has been defined by conversations surrounding how to best contain the spread of COVID-19 and how to rethink the role of law enforcement in our communities to ensure everyone’s safety, health, civil liberties, and wellbeing. While we have all been affected by these crises, the most vulnerable in our society have suffered the most, and immigrants – many of whom have lived in Massachusetts for decades, worked hard, and raised families in constant fear of their deportation or the deportation of their family members – are emblematic of the intersection of this struggle. The Safe Communities Act (S1579, H2418), which should be taken up by the Massachusetts Legislature in the current session, should therefore be a priority for us to pass. By limiting the entanglement of local law enforcement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), we are not only protecting our immigrant neighbors but also making our communities safer for everyone.
The Safe Communities Act helps address the public health imbalance between immigrant and non-immigrant communities. While this has been an issue for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the dangers of unnecessary cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement agencies. Immigrants in Massachusetts have been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19, yet many have been afraid or unable to get the medical testing, treatment, and vaccinations they need in the current political climate, as they fear that their information will be shared with federal authorities.
The general safety of all Massachusetts residents is also at stake. When ICE’s mission is entangled with that of local law enforcement agencies, our communities are less safe for two key reasons. Firstly, police departments are spending time, money, and resources on policies that are inherently not their job, since immigration enforcement is solely a federal responsibility. Therefore, allowing local law enforcement to do the job of the federal government means that the state is actually paying to distract local law enforcement from their core mission, which ultimately makes all of us less safe. Secondly, when police departments are seen as an extension of ICE, individuals are less likely to come forward to report a crime or serve as key witnesses. Everyone can agree that communities are safer when victims and witnesses are not afraid to come forward to report crimes, a reason many police chiefs across Massachusetts agree that local police officers should not ask about immigration status. In effect, more crime is reported and communities are safer when police departments have a strong relationship with those they serve, and entangling ICE in the police’s work creates a barrier to that goal.
Our public health and safety are top priorities for most of us in Massachusetts, but the Safe Communities Act also addresses a critical human rights issue happening right here in our state. We have all seen the horrendous family separation happening along the southern border, but family separation happens here in Massachusetts every time a parent is deported. Because many Massachusetts residents come from mixed-status families, ICE’s policies are devastating for citizens and non-citizens alike. When police departments collaborate with ICE, they are contributing to breaking those families apart. No child should lose a parent because local officials are dabbling in immigration enforcement – the job of the federal government.
It is, therefore, a practical and moral responsibility for us to urge our lawmakers to vote for the Safe Communities Act to make our communities healthier and safer and to uphold Massachusetts’ long tradition of standing up for the dignity of all.
Sarya Baladi is a North End resident.