Dear Holyoke community members and staff,
As your mayor and as your superintendent of schools, we are affirming our commitment to ensure and protect the rights of all Holyoke residents and employees, and especially our newcomer and immigrant families whose safety and well-being are now imperiled by recent announcements at the federal level.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that schools and churches would no longer be considered “sensitive areas,” with the intent to allow agents from both the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies to enter such locations under certain circumstances.
At this time, Massachusetts and other states across the country are reviewing this announcement, as well as their own laws and regulations, to determine what legal measures are available to us based on state and local laws. We anticipate an announcement from Massachusetts state leaders in the very near future, possibly as early as Monday, that will help provide further direction to us.
While we wait for further guidance from our state leaders, we remind all Holyokers that as a city and as a school district, we stand by our commitment to protect the rights and safety of everyone who lives or works in our community.
Earlier this week, Holyoke Public Schools shared guidance with staff that affirms the district’s commitment to upholding the rights of newcomer and refugee children of school-age.
Yesterday, Mayor Joshua A. Garcia reissued an Executive Order Relating to the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Detainers, which reaffirms a 2014 executive order made by former Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse B. Morse. It states, in part:
“that the Holyoke Police Department will neither honor nor enforce a civil immigration detainer requested from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) when such order seeks the excessive and/or unnecessary detention of an individual in department custody at the Holyoke Police Department beyond the point at which he or she would otherwise be released.”
As Holyoke’s current mayor and superintendent of schools, we stand by these commitments. We will be in touch with our community members as soon as we receive further guidance from our state leaders. We urge everyone to look out for one another in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Mayor Joshua A. Garcia
Superintendent Anthony Soto