Top leaders in Massachusetts, all Democrats, met online Tuesday night one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“It’s hard not to just feel the starkness of what’s at stake,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
The goal was to discuss how to respond to the new Trump administration, fearing attacks on women’s health, union workers and the LGBTQ community.
They say it’ll take a movement, mobilization and demonstrations to stand up to the new president, and they fear he’ll continue to divide the working class.
“Donald Trump is singularly committed to abandoning working people, their future and our very democracy,” said U.S. Sen. Ed Markey. “All for the sake of wealth and power.”
Raids on the immigrant community are also a top concern.
The president has said he wants to round up undocumented people — primarily those with criminal records — and send them back to their home countries.
Some of President Donald Trump’s early moves are being met with legal challenges.
“We need to make sure immigrants know they don’t need to open the door to ICE agents without a signed judicial warrant,” said Liz Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Refugee & Immigrant Advocacy Coalition.
ICE agents will no longer be barred from making arrests in “sensitive” places, like schools and churches.
Those restrictions have been lifted, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“You’re really disrupting the pillars of society if they do carry out these policies and don’t respect sensitive places,” said Patrcia Sobalvarro, executive director of Agencia Alpha in Boston, a nonprofit that helps immigrants.
She worries that it won’t just be those with criminal backgrounds who are targeted, but that it will be much more widespread.
“If you start deporting individuals who work at hospitals, at schools, restaurants, construction, who are going to be doing those jobs?” she asked. “And that will have an impact on neighborhoods in general.”
