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Boston councilors to look at legal defense fund for immigrants

A city council committee will look into setting up a pilot defense fund for immigrants facing possible legal action under any measures passed by the federal government.

The proposal, sponsored by Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) goes to a committee chaired by Councilor Ayanna Pressley (at large) and will include a hearing at which possible ways to solicit financial and legal help from area companies, universities and law firms.

"We are a nation and a city and a state of laws and it is critical that people get due process," he said.

Jackson said that in addition to helping Boston residents who might need help, the fund would help protect the local economy, which is increasingly powered by foreign-board students, researchers and workers.

Separately, the council voted, at the request of Council President Michelle Wu, to re-establish a special committee on civil rights to look at the Boston ramifications of federal actions and other issues related to civil rights in the city:

The committee shall concern itself with matters relating to equal access to education, housing, employment and health care services. The committee shall have jurisdiction over matters relating to city, state, and federal laws prohibiting discrimination. The committee shall concern itself with exploring the development of programs and/or legislation to ensure that all are able to safely and fully participate in the civic life of our city and our economy. The committee shall explore opportunities for city agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to work together to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of all Bostonians. The committee shall concern itself with promoting equal and fair access to public and private services and facilities for all residents, regardless of race, color, national origin, national ancestry, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age or disability.

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Comments

The committee shall concern itself with promoting equal and fair access to public and private services and facilities for all residents, regardless of race, color, national origin, national ancestry, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age or disability.

They didn't include "immigration status". Is that intentional?

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He's seeing Marty Walsh getting all the national attention for standing up for immigrants in the city and needs to find some headlines of his own.

A legal defense fund that's going to rely on outside funding from private entities to even come into existence isn't doing much but generating a headline.

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This is the most succinct and accurate way to describe Tito's time on the council. He makes these grand hearing gestures and the media generally fawns all over him, but he never follows through. He's an empty suit.

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Tito Jackson called for sanctuary status on November 14, 2016, months before Marty grew a temporary spine.

Tito has always advocated for marginalized groups. Its mayor trashbag thats playing catch-up.

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"We are a nation and a city and a state of laws and it is critical that people get due process,"

Pretty ironic statement for someone advocating for the city to help people break the law. According to the laws of the land, illegal immigrants are breaking the law - hence why they are called illegal.

One doesn't have to like it, and one has the right to think that our current immigration laws are unjust and/or unfair - and in that case, one can work to change the law. But, stepped up aggressive enforcement of our current immigration laws IS EXACTLY what being a nation of laws is.

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Really, people have a right to a defense in this country, at least until we lose the constitution.

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I do not believe (and I would very much like to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable than I am in this subject if I am wrong) that the law affords the same rights and due process to someone facing deportation versus someone facing criminal charges, so I am not sure about what rights to a defense that an illegal immigrant has if the government is seeking to just deport (obviously, an illegal immigrant has the same rights as anyone else if they charged criminally).

But mainly, my initial comment was directed in regards to some of the other statements Jackson has made in support of the efforts of the city to protect illegal immigrants from federal authorities, not this statement about legal aid specifically. I am definitely not trying to argue that wishing to provide legal representation to anyone is contrary to being a nation of laws.

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I read that Trump's exec order on deportations limits judicial review. Whether it does so constitutionally or not, it will be challenged.

It's been 3 months since Trump was elected and we've seen the nature of his ideas on gaining entry to the US. I have no reason to believe he'll moderate them in his executive orders to deport people.

A lot functional families with both citizens and undocumented people in them will be broken and that will have a cascading effect on the families, where they work and live, and the schools they attend.

Mass. as a Commonwealth should take a prophylactic measure to protect these families by law. Let the Commonwealth fight with Trump not cities and families. That'd put AG Maura Healey front and center and in that case, I like our chances.

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by reading the 800 previous Trumpland threads, in which is established the difference between civil and criminal wrongdoing, the role of federal versus city law enforcement, and exactly why what you're saying is dumb and wrong. You'll even get to see a special treat when an actual cop (Pete) smacks down a fake cop (FISH) for not knowing the first part about any of it.

Or, hey, charge on in and drop that turd in the punchbowl, Adam could probably use the ad revenue.

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Anybody working here undocumented will have used falsified or stolen documents such as birth certificates or social security cards.

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Not if their employer looks the other way and/or pays them under the table. Google "Uppercrust."

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Is being holder of a legitimately issued green card breaking the law? You dont seem to believe much in due process for those seeking and on their way to getting citizenship.

You're the one making the jump to "o noes but all teh illegulz".

Kinda says more about you than anything, doesn't it?

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hearing ...harrumph and I, me I'm harrumph harrumph..

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1st world country. Neither is anyone in Ireland being 'oppressed', so I'd say treat 'undocumented' from Ireland like any other illegal 'undocumented'.

So what exactly is your point? And why do you always say ya'll? We're in New England not the deep south.

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perhaps shes an immigrant. from the south. who honestly cares?

At 30 years old even I can remember, in my lifetime, a certain level of strife in that country. to put it mildly.

I suspect it is doing a lot better now than it used to be but lets not forget how recent it was that they had a considerable amount of unrest there. To put it mildly.

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