Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone today vowed to continue protecting immigrant families - including enforcing local edicts barring police from turning people into ICE for minor infractions - even at the risk of losing millions in federal aid.
Walsh vowed to use Boston City Hall itself as a sanctuary for immigrants threatened by the federal government if necessary, at an afternoon press conference at City Hall.
"You are safe in Boston," he told immigrants. "We will protect you."
Walsh said he will not waste "vital" police resources on any ICE roundups and that he is not concerned about a cut off of funds.
"No. We are going to protect, collectively, the people in this state."
"We see you and we've got your back," City Council President Michelle Wu told immigrants. "President Trump wants to tear us apart, but this only makes us stronger."
"What the president did today is an attack on the city of Boston" and similar cities, Wu said.
Walsh said he did not know how much money Boston could lose if Trump follows through on his threat to withhold all federal funds from sanctuary cities. For the fiscal year that ended in July, the city received about $250 million in federal funds for everything from education to homeland security.
Watch Walsh's and Wu's statements.
Ron Newman reports from Somerville City Hall: "Somerville will remain a sanctuary city," Curtatone said.
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Comments
Heh.
By dmcboston
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:08am
"Trump took an oath last Friday, and he's already broken it multiple times. Get some perspective or STFU."
You seem to have a tenuous grasp of the law. What laws has he broken? As some say here, "Citation, please."
Oh, by the way lil buckaroo, Secretary of Defense James Mattis (he can't be made, it's illegal, remember?) says hi...
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Re...
First Wetback
By Sock_Puppet
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:32pm
You mean like Melania Trump, right? She violated immigration law by working in the US without a work visa. AP News
So we can start with the First Wetback. Per your definition, she was a criminal when Slovenia hacked her up in New York. Is she still a criminal?
the language is unnecessary.
By bandit
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:43pm
you could've made that point without the racist slur.
interesting you chose not to.
Uh oh
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:53pm
You've offended the TONE POLICE!
OMG you used some pretty fucking nasty words and some wimpy douche is clutching pearls!
Democracy is under attack and WE MUST USE ONLY NICE WORDS OMG!!!!!!
hey swirly, you feeling okay?
By bandit
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:07pm
and this is actual general concern, not trolling. because i am pretty sure that nobody has ever accused me of being a wimpy douche before? and while i have been known to have a bit of a potty mouth, and drop an f-bomb or two, i am 100% sure i haven't used racial slurs on this board ever. and there is a huge difference between the two.
p sure
By Scumquistador
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:21pm
shes just pretending to be what she imagines an average trump supporter to be
if not, well, shame on me for trying to identify somebody's motive
honestly shame on me anyway. who even cares.
Slur?
By Sock_Puppet
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:08pm
I'm just saying Trumpski has a soggy mattress.
Operation Wetback
By E.K.
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:54pm
Perhaps Swirly was making a reference to Operation Wetback - yes, what it actually was called by our government. It was an immigrant deportation program back in the 1950s.
Though, to be fair, Melania isn't Mexican. /snark
Different operation
By Sock_Puppet
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 7:10am
For Trumpski, Operation Wetback means teenage Russian prostitutes and a hotel bed.
You're right.
By dmcboston
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:20am
"You mean like Melania Trump, right? She violated immigration law by working in the US without a work visa."
Yup. According to your own link, she should have waited the seven weeks for her paperwork to clear before she did the jobs. Instead, she jumped the gun a bit.
Doesn't seem like the most major of offenses.
Incorrect
By perruptor
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:57pm
That's wrong. Here is the oath for MA elected officials:
Notice that there is nothing in there about upholding any Federal law.
THANK YOU!
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:01pm
THANK YOU!
Making the Metaphorical Popcorn
By LadyKatey
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:06pm
I'm realizing this is going to come down to a real States vs Feds struggle. We need to do everything we can do to support our state and local governments. Because even if our representatives in Congress can't make much of a difference, our Commonwealth still has power.
So confused.
By E.K.
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:57pm
I thought Republicans were supposed to be pro states rights?
This country is hemorrhaging rationality so fast we're going to bleed out.
I KNOW!
By LadyKatey
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 9:37pm
That's why it will be so interesting.
Well, actually...
By dmcboston
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:33am
"I thought Republicans were supposed to be pro states rights?"
The Democrats have a long history of proclaiming the sovereignity of states rights, but as some have been pointing out incessantly the past eight years, that's the path of (to borrow someone's style) TRAITORS and CRAPTASTIK inbreds and stuff.
But, that's all old history.
States rights must be balanced against the Federal obligations under the Constitution. The Federal government is responsible for issues of a national nature like treaties, coinage and immigration.
Research the Tenth Amendment.
"This country is hemorrhaging rationality so fast we're going to bleed out."
As Douglas Adams wrote, "Don't panic."
Burn!
By Ben_Quahog
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:39pm
Take that, alternative facts!
Actually...
By Lunchbox
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 9:05pm
Walsh swore to support the Constitution of the United States [so help him God]
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ5YZ1Ekm_g at 1:15
The Constitution of the United States says that immigration is solely a question for the federal government, not the states (or cities).
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ5YZ1Ekm_g[/youtube]
The Constitution does NOT say
By perruptor
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 6:36am
The Constitution does NOT say that the Mayor of Boston must cooperate with the Federal government's immigration policies. Since the Feds have legal control of all the ports of entry, it's their responsibility to prevent the awful threat to our existence that is undocumented immigration. Local official have no legal responsibility to help them.
So he can support it
By Sock_Puppet
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 7:03am
By leaving it to the federal government, then.
Your next task
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 1:07pm
Please let us know where any oath of office is prescribed in the state constitution or the city charter. How is it worded, exactly? (look up thread to where somebody posted the boilerplate language)
Not unlike a church wedding with a minister or Rabbi where vows are made, but are not legally binding unless required by the law. Ceremony and legally binding statements can overlap, but they do not always do so.
So Charlie Baker violated his oath
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 11:02am
That whole DEP thing - tsk tsk. The one where he tried to liquidate the DEP by declaring that the Commonwealth didn't have to enforce state environmental laws, only Federal standards?
Yeah, that. He got dopesmacked in the courts - maybe he should have been removed from office.
They are not criminals
By Bob Leponge
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:57pm
No they aren't.
For whatever reason, Congress chose not to make it a crime to be here in the country illegally, e.g., by overstaying a tourist visa.
Please understand the criminal laws before making pronouncements about who is and is not violating them.
There goes the Green Line
By anon
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:18pm
I applaud Marty and Joe, but you can forget about that billion dollar Federal grant for the Green Line thru Somerville.
the green line is run by....
By Scumquistador
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:35pm
the STA?
or the MBTA?
The Tenth Amendment
By adamg
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 6:31pm
It's the amendment you don't tend to hear about unless you're one of those rightwingers who'd go around claiming it lets states nullify federal laws they don't like.
But it might also bar Trump from withholding money from sanctuary cities.
And the world turned upside down...
By dmcboston
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:43am
Your link (Pittsburg Gazette) cites a case written by Justice Scalia, bane of the liberals...
Will wonders never cease.
You know what?
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 9:04am
THIS ISN'T A FOOTBALL GAME WITH OUR TEAM VS THEIR TEAM.
Grow the eff up, please.
legal vs illegal immigration
By Anon
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 7:21pm
The Boston metro area is full of legal immigrants who spent many years and jumped through many hoops to maintain their legal status and eventually become permanent residents or citizens. Refusal to enforce immigration laws is a slap in the face for all these people and their effort to follow the rules.
Eh
By Scumquistador
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 5:28am
I wouldn't be so quick to speak for other people like that. Immigration has just as diverse a spectrum of opinions among immigrants as it does among anybody else here.
Source: years of dinner table conversations
No Line for These Folks
By R Hookup
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 8:55am
The majority of individuals here illegally had no legal path to entering the US. If you are not well educated or do not possess a special skill or are not related to a US citizen and are from Mexico or Central America, there are almost no legal ways to get to the US.
Doesn't make it right, but desperation drives people to do things they know are against the rules.
I do think offering his
By R Hookup
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 8:57am
I do think offering his office at City Hall is not the best way to go about it. What happens when a family scheduled for a deportation hearing shows up at City Hall and wants sanctuary? Is it really equipped to handle folks who would not be able to go outside again?
Seeing as the 10th Amendment
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 9:25am
Seeing as the 10th Amendment and the Constitution give power and roles to the State and the cities in question are chartered to the State (not the federal government) someone should really ask Mr. Charlie Baker what he thinks about de-funding these cities and towns (and others like them) and if which side he would take. Keep in mind he recently used the policies from the City of Chelsea for a template for his own policies with the State Police. Chelsea is a Sanctuary City. He also took some info from Boston and Somerville.
People let Governor Baker off of the hook way too easily. He needs to come out with a statement on this. Enough with this standing on the fence routine. The Constitutional protection for these cities runs right through his office, it is imperative that he have a policy one way or another on this.
Do not read this as a pro Trump comment, I am against his Executive Order, I just think that our Governor should form a backbone and declare a stance one way or another.
Go Mahty
By anon
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:53pm
We don't need their stinking money. Just raise out real estate taxes, raise parking fees, lower the speed limit and issue more tickets. We have GE behind us.
City Hall as Sanctuary?
By Smart Arse
Thu, 01/26/2017 - 2:11pm
That's cruel and unusual punishment.!!
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