SPRINGFIELD — Elected officials and some residents have been asking: What is the city’s policy on local police involvement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns?
The federal agency has fanned out in cities and towns across the country — and Springfield has been no exception. During a series of sweeps in Massachusetts in late March, ICE made its presence known in this city with at least two visits, according to police.
Unlike Amherst, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Concord, Newton, Northampton and Somerville, Springfield is not a designated “sanctuary city.” But it does have an ordinance passed by the City Council in 2018 limiting what police can do with regard to immigration issues.
The ordinance survived a veto by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.
At a recent City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, Deputy Chief David Kane spoke on behalf of the department and responded to a question about ICE activities posed by Councilor Tracye Whitfield.
“ICE has been in here within the last few weeks. We all know that,” Kane said.
He said department brass recirculated to all sworn officers the Springfield Welcome Community Trust Ordinance and received assurances all personnel reviewed it.
The ordinance’s purpose is to “affirm that Springfield is a welcoming city, to promote trust between employees of the city and all members of our community, and to facilitate effective law enforcement and public safety.”
Among its key points:
— City officials are not permitted to question the immigration status of a person unless an inquiry is required by state or federal law to provide a public benefit.
— Officials (including police) are prohibited from targeting with legal action or discriminate against a medical, educational or faith institution in their mission of providing refuge to immigrants and their families.
— Police cannot initiate an investigation or take law enforcement action, including regulatory action, on the basis of actual or perceived immigration status.
— Police cannot provide ICE with information about a person in custody, nor can they perform the functions of an immigration officer.
“We know this is going to get bigger before it gets smaller,” Kane told the committee April 3. “We have no control over where (federal agents) go or what they do.”
According to ICE statistics, the agency made 32,809 enforcement arrests in the first 50 days of President Donald J. Trump’s new administration. It is difficult to get reliable information on those arrests city to city.
In higher education, some international students at Massachusetts colleges and universities have seen their student visas abruptly revoked.
When asked to clarify his position on how the Springfield Police Department interfaces with ICE, Superintendent Lawrence Akers issued this statement:
“As a municipal police department in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Springfield Police Department is responsible for enforcing state laws and city ordinances. We do not have members of our department working directly with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), nor do we actively participate in any of their investigations,” Akers said.
“However, we do assist any law enforcement agency operating within our city if an officer safety or public safety issue arises,” he said.
The statement affirmed the philosophy of the city’s welcome ordinance.
“When Springfield police officers encounter individuals or make arrests, we do not inquire about immigration status unless required by law. If an individual is eligible for release from police custody, they are released — regardless of their immigration status," he said. “Our officers do not perform the functions of immigration enforcement officers, and we do not hold individuals in custody based solely on an ICE detainer.”
Akers spokesperson Ryan Walsh said the superintendent and other top staff met with members of the Pioneer Valley Project and with religious leaders to discuss the current landscape, and the effect ICE has had on local immigrant communities.
Pioneer Valley Project Executive Director Tara Parrish said the nonprofit agency has been conducting community training on immigration policies and what people should expect from local police.
“At a time when trust is on the line our goal as an organization is to ensure policing in the city starts with trust. That’s not just for this moment. It’s for all the moments,” Parrish said. “The police need to meet the moment.”
City Councilor Whitfield said she began making inquiries with police officials when she began fielding “irate calls” from residents decrying local officers assisting with ICE raids.
She said she contacted Akers about the complaints. He informed her there had been two instances in which police had been contacted. In one, officers played a peripheral role without getting involved in arrests. In the second, they performed a well-being check on a motorist who was being followed by ICE agents.
Police confirmed that versions of events.
A frequent critic of police, Whitfield said she is relatively confident Akers intends to follow the spirit of the city’s ordinance.
“I want to be realistic here. I won’t say I expect 100% compliance because people can sometimes do things of their own free will. But I’m cautiously optimistic,” Whitfield said.
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