Cambridge City Manager Signs Executive Order and Joins City Council and Metro Mayors Coalition in Standing Together to Protect Residents and Stand Against Illegal ICE Actions

City of Cambridge leadership and elected officials stood together with colleagues in the Metro Mayors Coalition today to affirm their values as a coalition of regional municipal leaders and protect the rights of their residents. The Metro Mayors coalition represents 1.5 million residents in Greater Boston and includes 17 communities.

Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang today signed An Executive Order Prohibiting the Use of City Property for Civil Immigration Enforcement Activities and Affirming the City of Cambridge Welcoming Community Ordinance and Its Commitments to Public Safety and Public Trust. The Executive Order outlines the City of Cambridge's response to protect residents, safeguard City properties and public buildings, and hold federal law enforcement accountable for violence, property damage, violations of the United States Constitution, and other misconduct.

"Cambridge holds a deep responsibility to protect our residents and uphold the values that define us," said Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang. "The federal tactics we have seen around the country have created fear, mistrust, and real risks to public safety. We do not control federal policy, but we will stand up for our community and act to ensure transparency and accountability for federal actions. This Executive Order reinforces our commitment to ensuring that every resident -- regardless of immigration status - deserves dignity, safety, and respect, and can feel safe in their homes, in our neighborhoods, and in our community."

"What we are seeing from federal immigration enforcement in cities across this country is dangerous, destabilizing, and fundamentally at odds with public safety," said Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. "Standing with the Metro Mayors Coalition and reaffirming our Welcoming Community, Cambridge is drawing a clear line: our responsibility is to protect people, and we will use every lawful tool available to hold federal actors accountable when their actions undermine public safety and cause harm."

The United States Department of Homeland Security's federal civil immigration enforcement surge operations have caused significant harm to local governments and residents, including impacts on public safety, local law enforcement and communities throughout the U.S. ICE officials have not followed current law enforcement best practices, including agents not wearing identifiable uniforms, not wearing and using body-worn cameras, wearing face coverings, and not identifying themselves which has created fear and escalated tension in communities.

The City Manager's Executive Order is intended to protect its residents and affirm the City's values and commitments enshrined in the Welcoming Community Ordinance. It includes restrictions on the use of City property along with a focus on ensuring public safety and ensuring public trust.

The Order ensures that no City-owned or City-controlled property will be used as a staging area, processing location, operations base, or other supporting location for federal civil immigration enforcement. Consistent with the City's Welcoming Community Ordinance and practices, Cambridge will not allow civil immigration enforcement officials into non-public spaces without a valid judicial warrant or court order.

The Executive Order states that the Cambridge Police will continue its long-standing practice of not participating in federal civil immigration enforcement operations. The Cambridge Police will also perform the actions and services that are necessary to ensure the safety of all on a scene, including protesters and the protection of individuals' rights of assembly and free speech.

Furthermore, the Order states that community members who believe they have observed ICE activity are strongly encouraged to immediately call 911 for assistance, so the Cambridge Police can assess the situation and prioritize community safety.

To ensure accountability for any individual who commits a crime, the City of Cambridge will publicly release Cambridge Police body-worn camera or City-controlled surveillance camera footage captured of violence or property damage by federal officials, unless it is subject to an investigation. Additionally, the Cambridge Police Department will investigate all violence, property damage, and allegations of criminal conduct -- including by federal officials -- and will document such incidents independent of federal investigations. The Cambridge Police Department will work in collaboration with and make referrals to the Middlesex District Attorney or the Massachusetts Attorney General in these instances.

The City's priority is to ensure the safety of residents and its employees. Nothing in this Order shall be interpreted to instruct local law enforcement officials or other City employees to interfere with or otherwise take any action that might aggravate an interaction involving federal officials and/or cause harm.

Last month, the Metro Mayors Coalition issued a statement denouncing ICE actions in Minneapolis and Portland, including the use of excessive and fatal force against civilians and intimidation and racial profiling that is undermining public safety and sowing fear. The Metro Mayors Coalition is made up of the municipal leaders of the 17 municipalities of Metro Boston.

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