By George P. Hassett

The city‚Äôs Human Rights Commission may set up a rapid response network to spread information to  immigrant communities during times of crisis.

At a community meeting in East Somerville Oct. 10 Human Rights Commissioner Mary Lu Mendonca said the move was inspired by last summer’s immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mendonca’s proposal was cheered and applauded by community members at the meeting.

City spokesman Thomas P. Champion said the network would not be used as a defense mechanism against ICE and would not train immigrants to deal with raids in advance.

“It would be a way to get information out quickly in the aftermath of ICE operations in the city so the community can have accurate information and not have to rely on rumors,” he said. “It would be solely informational.”

In August, ICE agents swooped into the city and arrested alleged gang members and violent offenders. Immigration-rights groups criticized the raids as too aggressive and widespread.

In their wake, some groups initiated an underground campaign to teach illegal immigrants how to fend off federal agents. One group, the Alliance to Develop Power, a non-profit organization based in Springfield, screened DVD’s in Spanish that simulated encounters between immigrants and federal officials and told immigrants not to lie to officials, carry false documents or run away. Instead, they encouraged immigrants to stay silent and ask for a lawyer.

That is not how the proposed rapid response network would work in Somerville, Champion said. “[Advising immigrants before raids] is not what is envisioned here,” he said.

It is also possible the network will not be created at all, Mendonca left her part time job as the city’s human rights commissioner this week. She would not specify her reasons for leaving.

“I don’t know if someone will take over the work now that I’m gone,” she said.

Champion said it is up to the commission to decide if they want to form the network.

“But if they teach people how to evade or avoid the law, the city can’t support that,” he said.