Think Globally, Resist Locally: Support The Safe Communities Act

 

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Summary: There’s lots to do locally to resist the Trump Administration’s many excesses. Item #1 on the list: supporting Sen. Brownsberger and those who are trying to pass SD 1596, a law to prohibit Massachusetts officers and law enforcement from cooperating with mass deportations.

Last night was what you might call the ‘Monday Night Massacre,’ with President Trump evoking the spirit of Pres. Richard Nixon by sacking the acting Attorney General Sally Yates for questioning the legality of his Executive Order barring immigration from seven countries believed to pose terrorist threats to the U.S. (In fact: citizens of the seven have not been linked to a single act of terrorism on US soil, while those that have, like Saudi Arabia, were omitted from the Executive Order).

If you’re like me, you’ve lost some sleep running through ‘what if’ scenarios about Mr. Trump, Mr. Bannon and the rogues gallery in the West Wing. Chances are: that was time and sleep lost without much to show for it.

A better response is to start acting locally to make your voice and your values felt. On that score, there is a post worth reading from our State Senator, Will Brownsberger, about the proposed Safe Communities Act (SD 1596) here in Massachusetts.

From Will’s post:

The events of the last few days make clear that we should expect rapid change, arbitrary harshness and continuing confusion in federal immigration policy.That makes it essential that Massachusetts define its own clear policies as to the role of local and state criminal justice authorities in enforcing federal immigration policy. That is why I intend to sign on as a cosponsor of the “the Safe Communities Act”.

At issue here are a number of issues about the practical implementation of any kind of immigration policy from the Federal government. Specifically: whether local police forces can be enlisted in the Federal government’s efforts to round up illegal immigrants.

The proposed SD 1596 amends State law, prohibiting officers or employee of any agency, executive office, department, board, commission, bureau, division or authority of the Commonwealth from “using funds, resources, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel for immigration enforcement purposes.” (Jails are not included in the list, it should be noted.)

Under the proposed law, law enforcement officers will be prohibited from inquiring about a person’s immigration status “unless such information is required by law, or is an element in a crime for which the law enforcement agency is investigating the person.”

Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles will also be prohibited from making information in its databases or other record-keeping systems available to any entity for enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of persons on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national or ethnic origin.

As Will notes:

The first job of local and state governments is to keep the domestic peace. We in state and local government should, of course, generally support the work of the federal government, but should not get involved in federal work where it may conflict with local work.

In practice, making local law officers into immigration officers creates some unacceptable conflicts. If a man is abusing a woman, or if violent gangs are terrorizing a neighborhood, we want that woman or the people in that neighborhood to feel free to go the police without fear that the police will pounce on them and check their papers.

Resistance in the Trump era, in other words, may become very much of a battle fought in the states and in local governments like Belmont. That’s especially true as the Federal government slides towards facts-optional authoritarian rule inspired by xenophobia, racism, anti semitism and the other deplorable ends.

Fortunately, as this article in The Guardian, notes: local resistance based in the states and local governments is very possible in a decentralized, federal system like the U.S., where states have the ability to loosen or tighten their own purse strings, and where many of the laws that most effect citizens’ day to day lives are written and enforced at the state and local level.

I’m supporting Senator Brownsberger in his support of SD 1596 and urge Blogging Belmont readers to do the same. You can visit his website to read his full analysis of the proposed law and to leave your own thoughts. I urge you to do so. Fret globally, resist locally!

Paul

Source: Keeping Communities Safe – Will Brownsberger