The Community Trust Act of Springfield passed the first round unanimously last night

What a beautiful night last night! Our members and coalition partners were out in force! The Community Trust Act of Springfield passed the first round unanimously last night. This Act will make sure that Springfield Police are never deputized as agents of ICE, that there are no detainer requests seen out unless legally obligated. It also gives police the discretion to allow for someone pulled over without a license (Undocumented immigrants are not allowed to have a license in the state of MA unlike CT and VT) to make arrangements for their car to be picked up by friends or family to avoid their car being impounded. It also calls on all city officials including schools, agencies and non profits to be considered safe zones and not give information to ICE.

We are so honored to be a part of such an amazing coalition of groups part of the Springfield Organizers Roundtable that helped to make this possible: Massachusetts Jobs with Justice!, Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, Arise for Social Justice, Blm413, Springfield No One Leaves, Climate Action Now MA, Western Mass SURJ - Showing up for Racial Justice, New England Regional Council of Carpenters, and UFCW Local 1459, and the Tikkun Olam Committee from Congregation B'nai Israel of Northampton and many more.

Thanks to folks at MIRA: Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition the ACLU Massachusetts and locally the ACLUM Immigrant Protection Project, the The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice and Amherst Sanctuary Coalition for helping to create the ordinance language. Thanks to Pioneer Valley Project for their help in organizing speakers, bringing Giselle, and all their work. Thanks to Neighbor to Neighbor for the solidarity. 

Thank you to the leadership of councilor Adam Gomez for introducing the Ordinance and Councilors, Jesse Lederman, Michael A. Fenton and Orlando Ramos for Co-Sponsoring it and to Tracye Whitfield, Marcus James Williams, Tim Allen, Tim Ryan, Melvin Edwards, Kateri Walsh, Ken Shea, and City Councilor E. Henry Twiggs, and Justin Hurst for voting YES!

Thanks to the PVWC and JWJ Sanctuary in the Streets team for coordinating childcare and translation!

#SolidarityIsOurSuperPower #OneStrugggleOneFight #SiSePuede#OtroMundoEsPossible

Press: Mass Live, Immigration News Wire