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Following the Jan. 20 Lowell City Council meeting and public discussion on Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) operations, we are calling on the City of Lowell to take clear steps to prepare for another wave of ICE enforcement and ensure the public’s rights are protected.
Outrage is rising across Massachusetts and nationally over ICE’s brutal actions against immigrants and bystanders, and transparency and preparedness are essential to protecting public safety and maintaining trust. The City of Lowell, Police Department, and other respective departments must be prepared for a potential surge in enforcement operations, including aggressive tactics seen in other parts of the country, including Minneapolis.
While we understand that our elected officials and police cannot interfere with federal enforcement actions, Lowell still has a responsibility to set expectations for how public spaces are protected, how residents’ rights are upheld, and how the city responds if enforcement tactics escalate.
Given what’s happening nationally, Lowell would be negligent not to be having serious conversations right now about how the city will respond. What happens if ICE is breaking down doors, ramming cars, or grabbing people in public spaces? What happens when children are involved? These aren’t theoretical questions anymore.
The city and its agencies need to make clear to the public what their plan is to protect people’s due process rights, as well as our rights to protest peacefully, to observe what’s happening in public, and to record enforcement actions that violate the civil rights of Lowell’s residents.
As part of a coalition of community leaders and organizations that includes Coalition for a Better Acre, Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance, Latinx Community Center for Empowerment, and Mill City Grows, we are urging the city manager, Lowell City Council and Lowell Police Department to take immediate steps including:
• Releasing clear information to the public about any ICE activity in Lowell
• Sharing “Know Your Rights” information with the community
• Establishing and publishing protocols to protect residents’ rights in public spaces
• Ensuring residents can safely protest, observe, and record without interference
• Enacting and strengthening local policy to limit cooperation with ICE and unlawful federal actions as they escalate and create public safety risks
Governor Healey’s recent executive actions and the Legislature’s proposed protections in response to escalating federal actions show that bold public action is possible, but our community needs to know that our local government is also working to protect us. We expect Lowell’s leaders to act with the same urgency to defend residents’ rights and safety. Trust in local government is built through clarity and action, not silence. Long-time residents as well as immigrant families in Lowell deserve to know what to expect, what their rights are, and how the city will respond if enforcement actions escalate. Preparing now is how we protect community trust and prevent harm later.
Julio Mejia is the executive director of Merrimack Valley Project (MVP) and Nancy Coan is the director of Lowell Alliance.
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