Tension over illegal immigration has come to a head in Brockton, as members of the city council consider a measure called the Trust Act, which says that local police will not detain undocumented immigrants on behalf of federal immigration authorities—unless there’s a criminal warrant.
Similar measures have passed in Boston, Cambridge, Amherst and other parts of Massachusetts. But not everyone in Brockton is pleased with the idea of resembling a so-called “sanctuary city.”
City Councilor Moises Rodrigues introduced the Trust Act because he says there is a severe lack of trust between Brockton’s police and its immigrant community.
“Not a day goes by where I don’t hear from law enforcement,” Rodrigues said. Law enforcement complains that “[immigrants are] not providing us with any information because they don’t trust us.”
Many immigrants aren’t reporting crimes or helping police with investigations. That’s because immigrants fear inviting scrutiny of their status, legal or otherwise, Rodrigues says.
And, in turn, Rodrigues worries the immigrants are not getting the police protection they need.
Rodrigues—who is the city’s first councilman to emigrate from Cape Verde—says Brockton police currently don’t report immigration status to the federal government. But he wants to make the informal policy official.
“You need to have something in writing somewhere,” he said.
He wants to be able to point to the Trust Act and say: “Look, it’s in writing, in black and white.”
Fellow City Councilor Tom Monahan is not convinced.
“All it’s going to be is: ‘Brockton’s a sasnctuary city,’” Monahan said. “Why do we want that stigma?”
Monahan says he is fine with the status quo. However, he worries that if Brockton is seen as a sanctuary city, it could lead to an influx of undocumented immigrants. He says the city can’t afford that.
Plus, Monahan fears what that label could mean for federal funding.
“We’ve seen the Justice Department was saying something about possibly pulling funds from sanctuary cities,” Monahan said. “Donald Trump, if he gets in, he will be pulling funds from sanctuary cities.”
So Monahan, who chairs the Ordinance Committee, says he won’t allow the council to consider the Trust Act until after they know who is president. But that hasn’t stopped city residents from debating the issue—and mobilizing around it.
Just a mile from City Hall, Franciscan Bishop Filipe Teixeira is at work in his basement office. Surrounded by filing cabinets, he opens mail from federal immigration authorities.
“We have Latinos. We have Haitians, Cape Verdeans, Angolans,” he said. Teixeira explains that they come to “ask for help.”
They’re looking for help navigating the U.S. immigration system, but also help with other concerns, including domestic violence. Teixeira says they call him instead of calling the police.
“Many times I’m in the middle of a husband and wife—or boyfriend, girlfriend,” Teixeira said. “And the police department, they don’t know because these people are afraid to call them.”
Teixeira says his congregants and others he serves are worried the police will check their immigration status—even if they’re calling to report a fire, or if they’ve witnessed a break-in.
He says the Trust Act would make everyone in Brockton safer.
But a few minutes down the road at Cape Cod Café Pizza on Main Street, feelings are very different. It’s a bar and restaurant where people come to watch sports, unwind with friends and chat about what’s going on in town.
When the conversation turns to the Trust Act, most people here oppose the measure. Bob Cabral says immigrants should be able to call the police, but if they’re in this country illegally, they can’t be guaranteed protection.
“You can’t report someone else for being illegal and pretend it’s okay for you,” said Cabral, who grew up in Brockton but now lives one town over, in Whitman.
Several city councilors report that the proposed Trust Act has generated lots of concern from people, like Cabral, who live in neighboring towns.
City Councilor Shaynah Barnes, who has heard from concerned residents on all sides of the issue, is proposing that Brockton set up an official way to provide residents with information on immigration policies.
“What we’ll have is immigration panels and immigration clinics,” Barnes said.
That way—regardless of whether the Trust Act passes—she says immigrants will understand that Brockton police don’t arrest people for not having papers, and they can get counseling on how to become citizens.
“No,” Teixeira said. “That does not help at all.”
Until Brockton lawmakers pass the Trust Act, Teixeira says, you won’t see any undocumented immigrants walking up the steps of City Hall.
