By a unanimous vote, the Boston City Council has approved an ordinance that will stop police from holding illegal immigrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents unless they have a criminal warrant. Supporters believe, “The Trust Act will not only protect immigrants but all residents of the City of Boston.”
The measure, proposed by Councilor Josh Zakim is geared toward “breaking down barriers to cooperation and allowing police to allocate their limited resources more productively.” Opponents feel the act “effectively puts handcuffs on enforcement.” They posed the question,
“Why are we letting back out on our streets people who already have shown they didn’t respect our laws by coming here illegally.”
Reportedly, recent lawsuits across the country have shown that cities, states and countries may be held liable for violating immigrants constitutional rights because those ICE detainers do not provide probable cause for holding people once they are eligible for release. A spokesperson for Mayor Martin Walsh said, “He intends to sign the legislation, sending a message to the immigrant community that they have a friend and ally in Mayor Walsh, Police Commissioner William Evans and the City of Boston.”