Bridgeport’s city council passed a largely symbolic resolution Monday prohibiting municipal staff from cooperating with federal deportation efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Immigrant rights advocates such as Sonia Hernandez , a member of Make the Road Connecticut, say it acts as a show of support for Bridgeport’s immigrant population.
“We need your help to stand up and speak up that you are saying, that you are with us and immigrant families, we are welcoming, we are defending and you stand out with us,” Hernandez said.
The resolution was passed after weeks of back and forth discussions with city officials and legal experts, who worried about the possibility of retaliation from the federal government.
New policies implemented through the resolution will impact all city departments, including the police department. The resolution does not grant federal immigration authorities
access to the city's surveillance cameras. City departments can also publicly disclose when federal agencies request information on immigrants in the city.
The resolution also states the city is barred from providing information to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security DHS or other federal agencies tasked with immigration enforcement.
Only one City Council member, AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia, voted against the resolution, after several immigrant rights advocates spoke during the public comment section, including Daira Mairin of Make the Road Connecticut, who read a letter from a resident.
“This vote is about safety, dignity and justice, not politics,” Mairin said.
Many of the policies in the resolution are not applicable if cooperation is required by federal law. Despite these challenges, immigrant rights advocates say the resolution is not only an affirmation of support from the city, but one of many ways local communities can advocate for migrants.
Maggie Mitchell Salem is the executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), an immigration resettlement agency and nonprofit. Mitchell Salem says the resolution is an act of unity, demonstrating local communities are not in favor of federal deportation efforts. She referenced former President George H.W. Bush, who regularly referred to a “thousand points of light” when referring to the power of community advocacy.
“Right now, we need a million points of light across America,” Mitchell Salem said. “And that's local governments taking action.”
Mitchell Salem also said she sympathizes with city governments like Bridgeport that are being forced to take a strong stance against the federal government.
Governments, and other immigrant and refugee resettlement agencies, according to Mitchell Salem, have been forced to either keep a low profile or publicly condemn the federal government, bracing for federal scrutiny or retribution. Each one of these organizations and city governments, she said, has to make a calculated decision that won’t further harm the communities they serve.
But Mitchell Salem said there is also power in local governments making a statement, no matter how symbolic.
“It's absolutely the right thing to do, even if what your local government can do, or your state government can do, is limited,” Mitchell Salem said. “It's important to try to push against those limits and do everything we can, because what's happening now is brutal, disgusting and inhumane.”
