ICE raids have come to Lowell. Residents, including U.S. citizens and children, are afraid to walk to work, take their kids to school, or seek medical care. Every other major city in Massachusetts has some form of sanctuary protections, besides Lowell.

In April, in response to our letters and increased pressure, the Lowell City Council asked the City Law Department to draft possible policies restricting ICE operations and cooperation. We have not heard any updates since.

Tell the Lowell City Council to act now: pass a Sanctuary City ordinance, direct the Lowell Police Department to stop honoring ICE detainer requests, and protect the residents they were elected to serve.

Click on "Start Writing" now. This email will go to:

• Mayor Erik Gitschier
• Vice Mayor Vesna Nuon
• Councilor Rita Mercier
• Councilor Daniel Rourke
• Councilor Corey Robinson
• Councilor Belinda Juran
• Councilor Sean McDonough
• Councilor Kimberly Scott
• Councilor Sokhary Chau
• Councilor Sidney Liang
• Councilor John Descoteaux

On February 5th, the Lowell Sun published a letter from a coalition of community and immigrant support organizations calling on Council to pass basic protections against ICE, but Lowell City Council refuses to act. The coalition, which includes Lowell Alliance, Merrimack Valley Project (MVP), Coalition for a Better Acre, Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance, Latinx Community Center for Empowerment, and Mill City Grows, all made the following basic demands to protect people in Lowell:

• Release clear information to the public about any ICE activity in Lowell
• Share “Know Your Rights” information with the community
• Establish and publish protocols to protect residents’ rights in public spaces
• Ensure residents can safely protest, observe, and record without interference
• Enact and strengthen local policy to limit cooperation with ICE and unlawful federal actions as they escalate and create public safety risks

Use this easy email tool to send a letter to the Lowell City Council demanding they enact these measures, and go even further by joining Cambridge, Somerville, Boston, Chelsea, Springfield, Holyoke, Amherst, Northampton, Lawrence, and other cities in passing a Sanctuary City law and stop all cooperation with ICE.