WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) sent a letter to municipal leaders in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District calling for a unified effort to protect and defend immigrants from the Trump administration’s dangerous raids. The letter comes in response to reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to carry out mass deportation raids on immigrant communities this weekend.

“Our humanity is tied, and I know you and I share a fundamental belief that when one of us is under attack, we are all under attack,” writes Congresswoman Pressley.  “Over the last two years, the Trump Administration has promoted xenophobic immigration policies and executed a mass detention agenda that has resulted in the criminalization, deportation and separation of families. But what we know to be true is that immigrants make our communities stronger. Across the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, more than 250,000 foreign born residents are contributing immensely to the economic, social and cultural vibrancy of our communities.”

Congresswoman Pressley is a staunch ally and advocate for immigrant communities in Massachusetts and throughout the country. Last month, she sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson slamming his proposal to evict mixed-status families from HUD-subsidized housing, and a letter to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker demanding he assist TPS and DED-holding Bay Staters. She has also demanded defunding ICE and CBP – two rogue agencies that actively criminalize and separate immigrant families.

The full text of the letter is below and can be found here:

Dear Municipal Officials,

I write today as an ally and partner in the fight to defend our immigrant neighbors from the Trump Administration’s dangerous attacks. As the proud Representative of the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, I am committed to working together with you to promote compassionate immigration practices and ensure that immigrant families are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. The family separations occurring across the country are downright inhumane and we must work in solidarity to safeguard and empower our immigrant Bay Staters who are suffering at the hands of cruel and xenophobic policies.

As municipal leaders, Mayors play a critical role in halting the criminalization of our immigrant communities and creating compassionate and welcoming neighborhoods for all families, agnostic of their immigration status. Together, we must continue to exemplify activist, empathetic leadership. I urge you to continue to work in partnership with advocates in community to protect immigrant families in the Massachusetts 7th from any and all efforts on behalf of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ramp up detention and deportation efforts.

Our humanity is tied, and I know you and I share a fundamental belief that when one of us is under attack, we are all under attack. Over the last two years, the Trump Administration has promoted xenophobic immigration policies and executed a mass detention agenda that has resulted in the criminalization, deportation and separation of families. But what we know to be true is that immigrants make our communities stronger. Across the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, more than 250,000 foreign-born residents are contributing immensely to the economic, social and cultural vibrancy of our communities.

This week,

• The occupant of the White House threatened to pursue a mass deportation operation, targeting up to 2,000 immigrant families including those with young children in cities across the nation – stoking fear in immigrant communities across the country and appeasing his political base.
• A Trump Administration official implied that immigrant children don’t need toothbrushes nor soap while they remain in ICE/CBP custody.
• Ken Cuccinelli, the acting head of the Citizenship and Immigration Service, instructed asylum officers to deny people seeking refuge – seeking asylum is legal and protected by U.S. and International laws.

We must take this moment as an opportunity, as elected officials charged with defending and protecting our community to stand in strong solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters.

This Administration has made clear, time and time again, that it operates with a deficit of empathy. We must not follow suit. As your ally and partner in Washington, I along with my staff stand ready to support our immigrant families and block this Administration’s xenophobic immigration agenda. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

In solidarity,

 

Ayanna Pressley

Member of Congress

Massachusetts 7th Congressional District