Alderman: ‘There is a lot of paranoia in the immigrant community’

By Andrew Firestone

A new federal law enforcement program has frightened the local immigrant community and prevented immigrant parents from sending their children to community events, according to a Somerville alderman.

Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond said the Secure Communities programs, signed by Governor Deval Patrick, has created paranoia within Somerville’s immigrant population. Parents have stopped sending their children to youth sports leagues in response, Desmond said.

“We’re talking about a large group of people who we really want to keep in our community,” said Desmond.

Critics have said the federal order includes broad and vague language. New Police Chief Tom Pasquarello told aldermen he was sure the city would not opt out but there would be no changes in how the department deals with illegal immigrants.

Pasquarello said he had no desire to persecute the sizable immigrant communities in Somerville. “I want to embrace these communities,” said the new police chief.

Pasquarello said he would wait for instructions from attorney general Martha Coakley before he interprets the new guidelines.

The Secure Communities program calls for certain biometric data to be taken and sent to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) for misdemeanor crimes.

However all felony arrests have their fingerprints matched up with ICE databases, and this program can be used to instantly identify individuals for deportation. Pasquarello said that other crimes such as prostitution and gang activity would also warrant cooperation with ICE.

Among those who voiced concern for the immigrant community was Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, who objected to the premise of the program itself. “What if someone is just accused?” she asked. “Maybe it’s something like their neighbor doesn’t like them.” Gewirtz said there should be due process for people caught under programs such as Secure Communities.

Gewirtz said Secure Communities was “problematic” and that she had always opposed bringing the program to the state. “It creates a different class of people,” she said saying that treatment of immigrants should be “Fair and equitable.” “We shouldn’t be ahead of the curb in complying.”