HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-10-LHRC-rpt-att2.pptx
Immigration Working Group Activities:September 10, 2025The Immigration Working Group of the Lexington Human Rights Committee Submitted by Lexington Human Rights CommitteeA Report to
the
Immigration Working Group (IWG) 1 May 2025\]-Rev. Anne Mason, Minister, First Parish Church \[IWG member Jan •, Minister, Pilgrim ChurchGirashKavichReebeeRev. •, Concerned Lexington
ResidentGlixonJudith •LexRAPBruce Neumann, President •Rachel Levy, Member LHRC•Chair 2018 Safe Communities Act (SCA) resolution group-Todd Burger, Co•Christina Lin, Chair LHRC•of the
Lexington Human Rights Committee (LHRC)
•2 the auspices of the Lexington Human Rights Committee. The Immigration Working Group \[IWG\] operates under at Temple Isaiahfocused on immigrant rights and community safety, held on
June 25th The first major effort of the IWG was organizing a community meeting •information available to those in our community who will benefit.related The IWG is committed to making
important immigration•federal immigration policies. responding to needs in our community related to rapidly changing Formed earlier this year, the IWG focuses on identifying and
•3 meeting were:th The main goals of the June 25 To find out what community members did or didn't already know.•regard to immigration issues.To gauge what people in the community were
concerned about with •Town police practices•Individual immigrant rights•To provide information about:
•4 Manager Steve Bartha and Chief of Police Michael McLean.The meeting had about 75 attendees, including Town citizens and allies of those at risk.The people who attended were primarily
white, and were interested •Lexington could be beneficial. forum and that additional meetings to reach a wider audience within Feedback afterward suggested that the meeting provided
a useful •Attendees had many questions.
1.5 are outlined below and with detail in subsequent slides:The IWG is now considering holding 3 new meetings, which reaching a more diverse group within Lexington.taken against illegal
and inhumane ICE actions, and focused on roundtable format, with emphasis on identifying actions that can be up community meeting (held in person), employing a -A follow3.targeting
for political speech.concerns about racial profiling or in the context of enforcement, nevertheless rightly concerned about their safety with immigration number of immigrants who have
robust visa protections but are One or more meetings (format TBD) focused on Lexington’s large 2.that ICE has been detaining.immigrants who live or work in Lexington and fall into the
categories meeting focused on held on Zoom) A Know Your Rights (KYR) training (
•whom ICE has been detaining:This meeting would focus on three categories of people 6 Know Your Rights (KYR) Training reports about detainments of others with legal status.Those who
may have some legal status, but are still anxious, given news •the protection it once was.Those who have applied for asylum, which does no longer seems to be •or HP (Humanitarian Parole),
both of which have now been cancelled. Those who may have come here with TPS (Temporary Protected Status)
What would a “Know Your Rights” Training Meeting 7 have an immigration attorney on hand for legal questions.within neighboring towns.focused groups -This meeting could potentially involve
collaboration with •Zoom format desirable.likely be anxious about showing up at a public event, making the A virtual format would be desirable, since this population would •you are
detained?”preparedness, such as “What do you want to happen to your child if Training could be paired with some counseling on family •look like?
Meeting(s) for Lexington’s Immigrants Who Have one of the following:Attendees at this meeting would include those who have type to reach specific groups (e.g., IAL, CAL, etc.).We are
considering holding multiple meetings of this naturalized US citizensPermanent resident status with/without aspirations to become •1B work visa-H•Student visa•8 Seemingly Robust Visa
Protections
•trainings.different from the (primarily) migrant group in the KYR the questions posed by attendees will likely be quite While there are elements of KYR that may apply here, 9 have still
have legitimate reasons for concern.protections do not seem to be the primary focus of ICE, they While Lexington’s immigrants who have robust visa an ill family member abroad).There
are also specific concerns about international travel (e.g., to visit •be racially profiled or targeted for political speech.Some immigrants with robust protections are concerned that
they may •protections, who at other times would have felt quite safe.There have been detentions of individuals by ICE with seemingly robust
Follow th group than the one at the June 25This meeting would attempt to reach a more diverse 10 person, not on Zoom.-This meeting would likely be held in•more concerned Lexington residentsup
meeting would have more lead time so as to reach -This follow•Justice Network of MA or other groups that would be allies in this It might be possible to invite participation from the
LUCE Immigrant •actions.on identifying actions we can take against illegal and inhumane ICE This meeting would likely employ a roundtable format, with emphasis •up Community Meeting-
In addition to planning the above meetings, the IWG 11 2018 Safe Communities Act resolutionAsking the LHRC to request the Lexington Select Board reaffirm the •locations around Lexington.rights
materials in various -your-Exploring the idea of placing know•has has begun working on two other initiatives: