In February 2026, the Salem, Massachusetts City Council adopted a resolution reaffirming the city’s responsibility to protect all Salem residents regardless of their immigration status.
RESOLUTION: TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, the City of Salem is a welcoming city with a longstanding commitment to being a culturally inclusive and safe community for all our residents, and serving and protecting its residents regardless of their immigration status and country of origin; and
WHEREAS, the rich history and vitality of the City of Salem, being increasingly ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse, is built on the strength of its immigrant communities, and this diversity is a source of resilience and civic pride; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem and its public safety personnel have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all residents, regardless of citizenship or immigration status; and
WHEREAS, fear of immigration enforcement can discourage residents from reporting crimes, seeking emergency assistance, accessing essential services, and attending school, thereby undermining public safety, as all residents deserve to live, work, learn, and access public services without fear of discrimination or intimidation based on immigration status or perceived immigration status; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem affirms that the Constitution affords all people residing in the United States certain rights, this rule applies regardless of an individual’s immigration status; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem maintains a strong commitment to protecting the rights of immigrant community members and ensures the following protections:
- The City of Salem does not ask for families’ or individuals’ immigration status.
- The City of Salem does not coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- The City of Salem does not allow ICE agents access to non-public areas of City facilities without a judicial warrant signed by a federal judge.
- The City of Salem does not share records with ICE without consent or a court order issued by a judge, except where disclosure is specifically required by federal or state law; and
WHEREAS, the City of Salem Councilors and city staff understand their roles and responsibilities regarding protecting and supporting our immigrant communities;
WHEREAS, the City of Salem has ordained in Article XVII, Section 2-2062 of the Salem municipal code that:
- City employees shall serve all residents and city services shall be accessible to all residents, regardless of immigration status or identity, including ancestry, race, ethnicity, country of origin, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender variance, marital status, physical or mental disability, or religion, unless providing such service is prohibited by state or federal statute, regulation, or court decision.
- City employees, with the exception of police officers who shall abide by police department policy, shall not ask for information about immigration status in the performance of daily tasks unless required to do so by federal or state statute, regulation, or court decision.
- Salem public safety personnel, including police and firefighters, recognize and value as their first priority the safety, protection, and security of all Salem residents, regardless of their country of origin. No person living, visiting, or working in Salem should ever fear calling public safety personnel for assistance. Further, local public safety personnel recognize that being able to have clear and open communication with any and all Salem residents is the most effective way to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the entire community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Salem reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights of all our community members, including immigrant community members, and ensuring a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for everyone who calls Salem home.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Salem recognizes that public safety is strengthened when all residents feel safe interacting with local government and law enforcement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Salem City Council commits to continued review, development, and strengthening of local policies that protect immigrant residents, including working collaboratively with city departments, Salem Public Schools, and the Salem Police on internal procedures.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Salem City Council urges the state Legislature to pass An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents, also known as the Safe Communities Act, to restore trust between communities and the public institutions that protect and serve them.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Salem City Council urges the state Legislature to pass An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust, and equal constitutional treatment, also known as the Protect Act, to ensure safe access to the courts and maintain trust in local law enforcement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the City Council send this resolution to Governor Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, Senator Joan Lovely, and Representative Manny Cruz.
The resolution was introduced by Ward 5 Councillor Lydia King, who shared her thoughts in a Facebook post:
“Last night, the Salem City Council unanimously passed A resolution to ensure the safety of our immigrant community.” To be clear, this is a starting point. This resolution states, at a high level, our existing policies concerning immigration law enforcement, commits to further work by the city council on this topic, and demonstrates support for two statewide bills, the Safe Communities Act and the Protect Act. There is more that should be done in Salem, at a regional level, and at a state level. To give just a few examples of policies Salem could pursue to strengthen this commitment:
- We could block ICE from gathering, organizing, and staging in public areas of city property. Similar to what the mayor of Lynn issued in an executive order last week.
- We could re-evaluate our 3rd party vendor data policies to ensure that no vendors we work with may be sharing data with federal law enforcement, and could cancel relationships with vendors that fail to meet our standards.
- We could re-evaluate our booking and charging procedures within our police department to ensure people aren’t booked, charged, or held unnecessarily when we know that immigration law enforcement may be waiting outside to pick them up, now that they are in the system.
- We could conduct additional legal research into the fine line between “obstruction” and “refusal to cooperate,” empowering our law enforcement to be confident they are within their rights when they refuse to cooperate with federal agencies.
- We could call on our county and state leaders to ensure they enact similar policies at a higher level.
As we evaluate any policy, it is critical that members of the immigrant community and organizations that represent this community are at the table and included in the conversation. The goal of all of this would be to help our community members feel safe, so that they can trust their law enforcement and government agencies. We have safer communities when people know they can trust their leaders.”
Historic Ipswich 