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The City of Somerville’s Board of Aldermen passed a resolution expressing their opposition to the “zero tolerance” measures taken by immigration authorities on the nation’s southern border.
By Jim Clark
A resolution was introduced and passed at the latest regular meeting of the Somerville Board of Alderman last Thursday, June 14, opposing the controversial zero tolerance policy imposed by the national administration which separates children from their parents.
The resolution in full reads as follows:
WHEREAS: The City of Somerville has a long history of supporting, valuing and respecting immigrants regardless of their immigration status; and WHEREAS: The City of Somerville believes that families are a core and vital building block of the community; and WHEREAS: The City of Somerville recognizes that children growing up without their parents(s) suffer lasting negative impacts on their development; and WHEREAS: In light of the Trump Administration’s far-reaching Zero Tolerance Policy which separates children and their families, threatening the moral core of our nation; and WHEREAS: The City of Somerville recognizes the United Nations’ position that the Zero Tolerance Policy violates international law; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Mayor of Somerville and Somerville’s Board of Aldermen affirm the rights of all families, regardless of immigration status to be together; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Mayor of Somerville and Somerville’s Board of Aldermen support the elimination of the Zero Tolerance Policy that separates families and mentally abuses people; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Clerk forward a copy of this Resolution to Congressman Michael Capuano and Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren on behalf of the Board of Aldermen and the Mayor of Somerville.
Speaking in favor of the resolution, Ward 1 Alderman Matthew McLaughlin said, “Today is a day of the week, so it’s a friendly reminder that the Trump administration is out of control, and that nothing that is happening here is normal. I was asked to submit this resolution and I support it. The zero tolerance policy, which I’m sure everyone has seen, children separated from their parents, put in cages like animals. Boston Cardinal O’Malley has said that this is morally unacceptable, and this is just a reminder that the new normal is not normal or acceptable.”
Ben Echevarria from the Welcome Project addressed the Board on the matter saying, “The first thing I want to do is to actually apologize. Zero tolerance policy, when it first came out, myself – like so many others – were like well, let’s play a wait and see game. Is this for real? Is this not for real? And what’s happened is – and continues to happen – is just heartbreaking. Every day we’re seeing and hearing from all over this country families that are being torn apart. I was connected with a group where Ohio just had the raids over the weekend, and literally I was talking to people who were telling me they have no idea where their children are. None whatsoever. Now, so many of you all are parents. Can you imagine just because,for some unknown reason, that you just passed an imaginary border, your child is taken away from you. You have no idea where they are. You don’t know if they’re safe. You don’t know anything. And you still have infront of you you’re still in detention, you’re still trying to figure out what’s going on there. Now you have this whole other situation going on. So for me it’s just been so heartbreaking. I hear these stories over and over again. And to hear it today, and literally while I was out at another event in Framingham, talking to the Brazilian community and hearing their stories. And all I can say is it’s time that we start to do something. And the way we do that is by municipalities like Somerville taking a stand, and pushing other municipalities to do the same. And then you push the state, and the the state starts pushing other states. Because the only way we’re going to fix this is if we begin to say enough is enough. And that’s what this is about. It’s just saying enough is enough.”
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Somerville leaned heavy and got the job done. Next.
It amazes me that any government administration in this day and age could ever condone this type of behavior. Have they learned nothing from the Japanese internment camps decades ago?
I don’t see this as anything other than an inhumane, unnecessary and unacceptable way to handle immigration concerns. Using cruelty to deter families who are fleeing danger is not going to work, simply because these people probably figure it is safer to have their children taken away into custody than to have them killed by whoever they are fleeing from.
If you had a choice between staying in your homeland and getting killed, or having your kids taken away from you to a place where they’ll likely be safe, what would you choose? These people are desperate, which is why they’re still coming.
The President (and I use that term loosely these days) needs to stop blaming the Democrats for everything when he gets negative press, and stop taking all the credit whenever things are positive.
Like a child, he runs to his rallies to get support whenever things are making him look bad, and avoids confrontation when he knows people are going to be angry with him. That’s not how the mature leader of a country should behave.
Saying this issue is not up to him is ridiculous, especially since he proved by signing his new Executive Order that he could have done something about this from the very beginning.
I’m just glad that cities like ours can step up when it matters, even though it shouldn’t be left to them to do what needs to be done.