Safe Communities Act Hearing Prep – Dec 2021

SCA rally at State House

Bill Numbers: S.1579 / H.2418

Full title: An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents

Lead sponsors: Sen. Jamie Eldrige, Rep. Ruth Balser & Rep. Liz Miranda

Committee: Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Hearing Information

The hearing will be Wednesday, December 1, at 11 am.

Sign up for the SCA Coalition’s hearing watch party here.

Submit Testimony Yourself

You can submit testimony using the link here!

The Issue 

Federal immigration enforcement practices have created a climate of fear in the Commonwealth. Across the country and here in Massachusetts (yes, Massachusetts), immigrant families have been separated and detained indefinitely or deported by ICE for any reason or no reason, without due process. This is happening despite the fact that most non-citizens in Massachusetts have lived here for more than 10 years and are deeply rooted in family and community here. More than 90% of deportation cases initiated in Massachusetts during the 2021 fiscal year (as of February) were against people who were charged solely with immigration violations, not crimes. 

Massachusetts may not be able to stop deportations, but we can stop being complicit. Massachusetts law enforcement officers have, in many cases, voluntarily cooperated with federal immigration enforcement efforts–at Massachusetts taxpayer expense. If immigrants fear that interacting with state officials could get them or family members deported, they will cease to report crimes or emergencies. When immigrants fear state officials, we are all less safe.

Although the new administration in Washington has shown interest in reforming our immigration system, we don’t need to wait to act, especially when we should have acted years ago. 

The Solution

The Safe Communities Act guarantees basic rights and ensures that state and local law enforcement aren’t deputized as federal immigration agents. It bars local law enforcement from asking about immigration status (codifying a practice already common across the state), ensures that undocumented immigrants are granted due process rights, and prevents ICE from disrupting fair access to the judicial process for both victims and defendants. Moreover, the bill ends 287(g) agreements, which deputize state and local law enforcement to ICE at taxpayer expense. 

These reforms reflect a genuine vision of public safety: when communities are ripped apart, we are all less safe, and when communities are whole and everyone has access to justice, we are all safer. 

Highlights 

  • Bars law enforcement from asking about immigration status (unless required by law): Many immigrants fear that calling 911 or speaking to police will lead to separation from family members. This makes them more vulnerable to domestic abuse, wage theft, and other crimes. 
  • Protects due process rights: Before ICE questions someone in local custody, police would have to obtain their consent and explain they have the right to decline an interview or have their own attorney present (rights commonly known as “Miranda” rights). Non-citizens are often unaware of these rights, but without such protections, they can unintentionally make statements that or sign documents that put their own cases in jeopardy. 
  • Ensure fair access to courts: Current practices enable and encourage ICE to take custody of people before they have their day in court, denying justice to victims and defendants alike. The SCA allows police and court officials to notify ICE of a person’s pending release from custody only at the end of a sentence, not before. 
  • Bans 287(g) agreements: These contracts, which allow state and county personnel to act as federal immigration agents at state taxpayers’ expense, are the most extreme form of entanglement with ICE. Massachusetts is the only state in New England to have such agreements, and we have four: with Bristol, Barnstable and Plymouth counties, and the Department of Corrections.
  • Requires law enforcement training: The bill also requires that law enforcement agencies incorporate this guidance into their training programs, and permits the filing of complaints with the relevant agencies.

Email / Call Script (provided by the SCA Coalition) 

Find your legislators’ contact information here. Or send it directly here.

I urge you to cosponsor the Safe Communities Act (S.1579/H.2418). As we celebrate the federal government’s renewed appreciation for the contributions of immigrants, we must also end our state’s longstanding involvement in deportations by supporting this critical legislation, which was reported out favorably last year by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.

The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the detrimental impacts of this involvement—undermining testing, treatment and contact tracing efforts in immigrant communities, and impeding immigrant access to court and police protection.

In the interest of public health, public safety, and an equitable recovery that includes all state residents, I hope I can count on your support for this bill.

Talking Points / Sample Tweets 

  • We believe ALL immigrants are welcome in our community. The #SafeCommunitiesAct would be a step toward delivering on that promise. #mapoli 
  • The #SafeCommunitiesAct is about safety: when communities are ripped apart, we are all less safe, and when communities are whole and everyone has access to justice, we are all safer. #mapoli 
  • Deputizing state and local law enforcement to ICE makes us all less safe, leading to families being ripped apart and increasing racial profiling. #SafeCommunitiesAct #mapoli 
  • Deportations disrupt the economy by depleting the workforce and pushing the undocumented into the underground economy. We all benefit from the #SafeCommunitiesAct. #mapoli 
  • The #SafeCommunitiesAct makes sure that we aren’t spending public money in ways that make the public less safe. That’s basic fiscal responsibility. #mapoli 
  • We can’t wait for the federal government to take action to protect immigrants’ rights. It’s time to pass the #SafeCommunitiesAct. #mapoli 
  • A new White House doesn’t mean the fight for immigrants’ rights is over. The #SafeCommunitiesAct is just as important than ever. Let’s get it done. #mapoli 
  • If we want a successful and equitable recovery from COVID-19, we must pass the #SafeCommunitiesAct. #mapoli 

Learn More 

THIS WEEK: Safe Communities Act Town Hall + Common Start Rallies

Although the MA Legislature will soon go on recess for the end-of-year holiday season, this time of year is critical for building momentum for key legislative priorities.

Mark your calendar with some great opportunities to deepen your knowledge about and show support for the Safe Communities Act and the Common Start bill.

THURSDAY: Safe Communities Act Town Hall

SCA Town Hall

We’re 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and 9 months into a new federal administration and the passage of the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act ( S.1579 and H.2418) is more important than ever. Ending police and court involvement in deportations remains an urgent public health and public safety priority in Massachusetts. Join allies in the Safe Communities Act Coalition for a virtual town hall this Thursday, November 18th to hear from immigrant workers, immigrant survivors of domestic violence, and advocates about why the passage of the Safe Communities Act is essential and what you can do to take action.

Interpretation will be available.

Zoom link available upon RSVP.

Common Start Coalition Weekend of Action

In advance of the hearing next week on the Common Start bill, there will be rallies across the state.

The Common Start bill would establish a system of affordable, high-quality early education and child care for all Massachusetts families.

Southeast MA: Saturday at noon, Buttonwood Park, New Bedford

RSVP at https://bit.ly/southeastma11-20

New Bedford Common Start Rally

Greater Boston: Saturday at 10:30 AM, Tadpole Playground, Boston Common

RSVP at https://bit.ly/greaterboston11-20

Greater Boston Common Start Rally

Central Mass: Saturday at 10:30 am, Elm Park, Worcester

RSVP at https://bit.ly/centralma11-20

COVID Housing Equity Bill Digital Day of Action

Today is the Digital Day of Action for the COVID-19 Housing Equity Bill.


There have been over 25,000 evictions filed in MA during the pandemic. Our communities are bracing for even more evictions and an onslaught of foreclosures. The COVID-19 Housing Equity bill would stop this needless displacement, but the Housing Committee has failed to move it forward. The State Legislature is about to close “formal session” until new year without protecting tenants and homeowners.

Join by calling and emailing the co-chairs of the Housing Committee and posting on twitter as part of the tweetstorm.

Digital Day of Action: COVID Housing Equity Bill

Thursday Evening: Mass Alliance Celebration of Progressive Champions

Join allies from Mass Alliance on Thursday to bring our progressive community together to celebrate our municipal victories of the 2021 election, honor our progressive champions, build community together, and plan and strategize for the future of our movement after the election.

RSVP HERE.


Thinking Ahead….Coming Together: Building Progressive Political Power: 12/4 & 12/5

Join us and allies for Coming Together: Building Progressive Political Power, on Dec 4-5, a virtual conference where we will explore how we can move our programs forward with maximum impact, strategizing how to engage, unite, and build the power needed to reverse the destructive policies of our current governmental structures.

Coming Together Conference: 12/4 & 12/5

REGISTER HERE.

Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action, Our Revolution Massachusetts, Progressive Democrats of America, Progressive Massachusetts, North American Indian Center of Boston, Incorruptible Mass, Boston Democratic Socialists of America, Massachusetts Call 2 Action.

Mark Your Calendars: Safe Communities Act Town Hall + Common Start Week of Action

Although the MA Legislature will soon go on recess for the end-of-year holiday season, this time of year is critical for building momentum for key legislative priorities.

Mark your calendar with some great opportunities to deepen your knowledge about and show support for the Safe Communities Act and the Common Start bill.

Safe Communities Act Town Hall

SCA Town Hall

We’re 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and 9 months into a new federal administration and the passage of the Massachusetts Safe Communities Act ( S.1579 and H.2418) is more important than ever. Ending police and court involvement in deportations remains an urgent public health and public safety priority in Massachusetts. Join allies in the Safe Communities Act Coalition for a virtual town hall on November 18th to hear from immigrant workers, immigrant survivors of domestic violence, and advocates about why the passage of the Safe Communities Act is essential and what you can do to take action.

Interpretation will be available.

Zoom link available upon RSVP.

Common Start Coalition Week of Action

In advance of the hearing later this month on the Common Start bill, there will be rallies across the state.

The Common Start bill would establish a system of affordable, high-quality early education and child care for all Massachusetts families.

Cape & Islands: This Sunday @ 11:30 AM, Hyannis Village Green (367 Main Street)

RSVP at https://bit.ly/capeislands11-14

Location: Hyannis Village Green, 367 Main Street

Cape & Islands Common Start Rally

Merrimack Valley & North Shore: This Sunday @ 11:30 am, Lowell City Hall (375 Merrimack St)

RSVP at https://bit.ly/northeastma11-14

Merrimack Valley Common Start Rally

Southeast MA: Next Saturday at noon, Buttonwood Park, New Bedford

RSVP at https://bit.ly/southeastma11-20

New Bedford Common Start Rally

Greater Boston: Next Saturday at 10:30 AM, Tadpole Playground, Boston Common

RSVP at https://bit.ly/greaterboston11-20

Greater Boston Common Start Rally

Upcoming Hearings on Medicare for All and Universal Child Care: Share Your Story

The reason why we support progressive policies is the tangible, positive impact that they will have in bettering the lives of people across the Commonwealth.

When health insurance costs too much and provides too little, and when families struggle to make ends meet in order to afford child care, people end up with undue stress, growing debt, and foreclosed opportunities.

The good thing? We can change that.

There will be upcoming hearings in the MA Legislature on Medicare for All and universal child care / early education, and they will be an opportunity to share why how such policies would have a tangible, positive impact on you and the people you care about.

Next Tuesday: Medicare for All Hearing

Next Tuesday (10/26) at 11 am, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing will be hearing testimony on Medicare for All (S.766/H.1267).

These bills would make health care at last a truly enjoyed human right with a non-profit health care system that puts patients before profits, is comprehensive, covers every one, and is affordable.

If you would like to speak at the hearing, you must sign up by 4 pm today!

If you aren’t able to attend but still want to share why Medicare for All is so important to you, don’t fret!

Coming Soon: Hearing on the Common Start Bill

The Common Start coalition is collecting testimony for their bill’s hearing next month. The Common Start bill would establish a system of affordable, high-quality early education and child care for all Massachusetts families, over a 5-year timeline. This system would cover early education and care for children from birth through age 5, as well as after- and out-of-school time for children ages 5-12, and for children with special needs through age 15.

The hearing is on November 23, but the coalition is asking for testimony by Thursday, October 28 to put together a curated “recipe book” (Common Start, A Recipe for Affordable, Accessible, High-Quality Education and Care).

Check out the coalition’s guide to writing testimony here, and send testimony (or stories you’d like to include) to james@field-first.com.

Take Action: MA Deserves Fair Maps

Drawing Democracy
The Drawing Democracy Coalition, which consists of civil rights, democracy, and community groups across the Commonwealth, has been fighting to achieve fair districts that equitably represent communities of color, low-income people, and immigrants through a transparent process and maximum community engagement. After reviewing the maps proposed by the Joint Committee on Redistricting, the coalition has important recommendations that would improve representation in the MA Legislature.

Read the Coalition’s Senate recommendations — and contact your legislator here.

Read the coalition’s House recommendations — and contact your legislators here.

You can also submit public comment here by tomorrow (Monday) at 5 pm.

The VOTES Act Is Good. Here’s How It Could Be Better.

Tomorrow, the MA Senate will be taking up the VOTES Act, which contains a number of important pro-democracy reforms such as making expanded early voting and vote-by-mail permanent and enacting Same Day Registration so that voters can register or update their registration at the polls.

The MA Senate deserves credit for advancing a strong and comprehensive bill with popular, time-tested, and effective reforms. But the Senate can also make the bill even stronger by including the following amendments:

Amendment #1 (Hinds): Protecting ballot access for eligible incarcerated people, which would require correctional officials to send incarcerated individuals information about their rights, distribute registration forms and absentee ballots to all eligible voters, and ensure that the votes are collected and transferred to election officials, among other reforms to the jail-based voting language.

Amendment #4 (Rausch): Paid time off for voting, which would guarantee workers 2 hours of paid time off to vote, making sure that long hours are not a barrier to participation.

Amendment #111 (Chang-Diaz): Providing Access for Transliterated Ballots, which provides for transliteration of ballots in languages that do not use the Roman alphabet, thereby ensuring that language is not a barrier to full participation.

Amendment #17 (Rausch): Ensuring Access to Ballot Drop Boxes, which requires municipalities to have at least one secure and accessible drop box location with a requirement that larger ones have at least one secured municipal ballot drop box for each twenty-five thousand registered voters.

Amendments #18 & 19 (Rausch): Ensuring Election Day Registration in All Elections / Ensuring Vote By Mail Access in Municipal Elections, which ensure that the reforms in the bill apply to preliminary and general municipal elections. Amendment #28 (Rausch): Permitting Vote By Mail Ballots to be Returned to Regular Polling Places, which would allow voters to drop off mail ballots at their regular polling locations.

Can you email your state senator in support of these important amendments?

Take Action in Support of #NoCostCalls

Right now, families are charged exorbitant fees to maintain vital connections with incarcerated loved ones. This is a regressive tax on the most vulnerable populations of the Commonwealth that also harms public safety by limiting communication and weakening community bonds .

While only 21 percent of the state’s population is Black or Latinx, more than 54 percent of the people imprisoned by the Department of Corrections are. Black and Latinx children are, respectively, nine and three times more likely than White children to have a parent in prison. As communities already struggle with the high cost of housing, health care, and transportation, no one should be forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries and maintaining contact with loved ones.

Today, the Judiciary Committee will be hearing testimony on important legislation to eliminate such fees.

Can you submit testimony to the Judiciary Committee in support of the #NoCostCalls bill?

Redistricting and YOU: How to Effectively Lobby for Fair Maps in MA

This year — likely this MONTH, the Massachusetts Legislature will be drawing the legislative and Congressional districts for the next decade. The Drawing Democracy Coalition recently released a Unity Map informed by community groups across the state. What are the key features of this map? How does one set priorities in redistricting? What makes a map fair? And how can we be effective advocates?

Next Thursday at 7 pm, we’ll have a discussion with Jordan Berg Powers of Mass Alliance, Beth Huang of the Massachusetts Voter Table, and Roberto Jiménez Rivera of the Boston Teachers Union.

RSVP HERE.

Celebrate National Voter Registration Day by Advocating for Democracy

VOTE buttons

Today (Tuesday, September 28) is National Voter Registration Day, and there couldn’t be a better day to reflect on how we can eliminate the unnecessary barriers people face to participating in our democracy.

This fall, the MA Legislature will likely pass an election reform package that makes permanent the popular voting reforms from the past two years like expanded early voting and vote-by-mail. However, just passing those alone is not enough. We have an opportunity to pass an ambitious bill that finally tackles some of the enduring obstacles to participation.

Tell your legislators that we need the strongest possible voting rights package this fall.

What does that mean?

It means passing Same Day Registration so that all eligible voters can register to vote or update their registration at the polls.

And that means passing strong language around Jail-Based Voting to end the de facto disenfranchisement that too often happens behind the wall and leaves returning citizens unsure about their rights.

We can pass a strong bill that includes such reforms, but for that to happen, your legislators need to be hearing from you.

Upcoming Events

Drawing Democracy Coalition to Release Unity Maps

The Drawing Democracy Coalition will be revealing its unity maps for state legislative redistricting @ 1 pm. Tune in on Facebook to learn more about our proposal for fair districts and how we can build political power for BIPOC, immigrant & low-income communities.

Drawing Democracy Coalition Unity Map Reveal

Rally to Defend Abortion: Saturday, 10/2

This Saturday, October 2, please join allies NARAL MA, ACLU of Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts for the Boston Rally to Defend Abortion.

Abortion access and reproductive freedom are under attack across the country. Texas’ SB8 has emboldened anti-abortion politicians to propose copycat laws in their states. To make matters worse, the United States Supreme Court, which allowed this blatantly unconstitutional law to stand, is set to hear the most consequential challenge to abortion rights in thirty years, on December 1.

As a national model for reproductive freedom, Massachusetts must lead the fight to defend abortion.

Boston Rally to Defend Abortion!

Saturday, October 2, 12-1:30pm

Franklin Park Playstead

Pierpont Road, Boston MA

VOTES Act Lobby Day

On Wednesday, October 6, the Election Modernization Coalition is hosting a Lobby Day for the VOTES Act Lobby from 12 Noon to 1:30 PM via Zoom.

As a reminder, the VOTES Act (S.459) would implement many of the reforms that Massachusetts voters have grown used to, like voting by mail and early in-person voting, along with new reforms like Same Day Registration (SDR) and risk-limiting audits.

RSVP for the Lobby Day here.

Support Indigenous Peoples Day

The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight is hearing testimony today in support of honoring Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday of October.

You can write to your legislators in support here.

Time to Press Pause on Prison Construction

The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering a proposal to spend $50 million to build a new women’s prison to replace MCI-Framingham.

Backers of the project often tout that the new facility for the approximately 125 women still incarcerated there will be a “trauma-informed” prison. But here’s the problem: there’s no such thing as a trauma-informed prison. Despite the statistics which have proven that incarceration increases the likelihood that a person will reoffend once released, the state continues to pour money into a carceral system that we know does not keep our communities safe and, instead, increases recidivism.

Alternatives to the carceral status quo are necessary and possible, and the first step is to press pause on the construction of new prisons and jails that lock in the current system. That is why we’re supporting S.2030/H.1905, which would impose a five-year moratorium on prison and jail construction

Starting tomorrow (or, if you’re reading this in the morning, “today”), human rights advocates across the state will begin a week-long walk from Springfield to Boston to bring awareness to the need to create such alternatives to incarceration by directly addressing root causes, such as the inability to access housing, food, and jobs.

If you can join for all or part of the walk, RSVP here!

If you can’t join, you can still make a difference by contacting your state legislators in support of S.2030/H.1905. Send them an email here.

MA Can Do More to Protect Tenants from Eviction. Here’s How.

Last week, the right-wing Supreme Court ruled against the extension of the CDC’s federal eviction moratorium, putting millions of tenants at risk across the country.

While we wait for Congress to take action, we can take action here in Massachusetts by passing the COVID Housing Equity Bill.

Massachusetts has hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rental assistance, but the application process is complex and resources are not reaching tenants in time to prevent unnecessary evictions.

The COVID Housing Equity Bill complements and strengthens the work of these existing programs by (1) ensuring that landlords pursue and cooperate with rental assistance programs before evicting, (2) pausing no-fault evictions through March 2022, and (3) pausing residential foreclosures, among other steps.

Housing is a human right, and never has that been more clear than during a pandemic.

Can you contact your legislators in support of the COVID Housing Equity Bill?

Fair Share Amendment Advocate Training!

Next Thursday, at 6 pm, Raise Up Massachusetts will be holding a training call for the pledge card program for the Fair Share Amendment this fall.

Sign up to learn more about the plan for our campaign for the rest of 2021 and how you can most effectively advocate for the Fair Share Amendment!

There shouldn’t be a voter registration deadline.

If you live in Boston, Brockton, Framingham, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Newton, Peabody, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Somerville, or Worcester, then today is the last day to register to vote or update your registration before the September 14th preliminary. You can do that online here.

That, however, raises a key question: Why do we even have such a 20-day cutoff at all?

Our neighbors in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut all allow eligible voters to register or update their registration at the polls. In total, 20 states and DC have Same Day Registration.

So we know it’s possible. And we know it works: studies have shown that Same Day Registration is one of the best reforms for increasing voter participation.

When the MA House and MA Senate consider a voting reform package this fall to make some of last year’s changes permanent, it’s vital that Same Day Registration be a part of it.


Can you email your state legislators today in support of Same Day Registration?