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Boston, MA
Massachusetts rarity: Greater Boston town rejects immigrant protection petition
Massachusetts towns and cities are proceeding with caution as the Trump administration steams ahead in its crackdown on illegal immigration, with residents in one suburb rejecting a “safe communities” petition.
As some municipalities rushed to reaffirm their commitment to protecting all immigrants after Donald Trump won re-election last November, Mansfield is taking a different approach.
The suburb of roughly 24,000 people, about 30 miles southwest of Boston, has turned down a citizen’s petition to block town funds and resources from being used to enforce federal immigration law.
Resident Marcia Szymanski sponsored the petition that residents overwhelmingly rejected at a town meeting that drew a turnout of just over 480 locals. She argued that the measure would not have created a sanctuary town nor exposed Mansfield to federal funding “retaliation.”
“This article simply codifies what the town and the police force are already doing,” Szymanski said at the meeting on Wednesday. “The intent is to affirm the town’s commitment to the values of freedom, justice and equality for all Mansfield residents and visitors.”
“To take this action at this time is a vital contribution to public safety and a sense of community,” she added.
Police Chief Ron Sellon clarified that local resources are not being directed to enforcing federal laws, as is, connecting Mansfield’s status to a 2017 state Supreme Judicial Court ruling.
Under the so-called Lunn decision, local law enforcement cannot hold aliens based solely on a civil immigration detainer issued by federal officials beyond the time they would otherwise be released from custody.
That means aliens must be released even if federal immigration authorities issue a civil immigration detainer.
Sellon called the petition “moot,” while raising concerns about how support of the resolution could have prompted federal funding uncertainty as Mansfield faces financial struggles. The police department is relying on roughly $500,000 in federal grants to “offset” cuts, he said.
Mansfield residents also voted against a $2.7 million tax increase for the upcoming fiscal year.
Last August, Mansfield Police arrested Akim Marc Desire, 18, a Haitian national living in Massachusetts unlawfully, on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
“I will just be straight up and honest about it: I don’t know what the result is going to be,” Sellon said. “Donald Trump can’t find Mansfield on a map, but we don’t know if this is going to be the trigger that draws it for him.”
Mansfield’s rejection of the petition came two days after Trump signed an executive order directing his attorney general to work up a list of the country’s ‘sanctuary cities’ and warn them that they could lose funding or face other consequences.
Sanctuary policies are “a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government’s obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States,” according to the president’s order.
Trump’s previous attempts to withhold funding to sanctuary cities and towns have been blocked in the courts.
While there is no strict “sanctuary jurisdiction” definition, the term is often used to describe those with policies that prevent local law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal laws or holding detainees longer than they normally would based on a civil detainer.
The exact number of sanctuary towns and cities in Massachusetts is unclear. Boston, Somerville, Northampton, Amherst, Cambridge, Concord, Lawrence and Newton had been grouped into that category for years, but some now say they have never been defined as a sanctuary.
Concord Town Manager Kerry Lafleur told the Select Board just a week after Trump retook office that the town is “not a sanctuary city,” the hyperlocal Concord Bridge has reported. Police Capt. Brian Goldman told the outlet that listing the town as a sanctuary city is “misstated.”
“What was put forward in 2017 was a ‘Welcoming Community,’” Goldman told the Bridge in January. “So it’s a little different mix of words.”
Other municipalities, in the wake of Trump’s re-election, adopted sanctuary-like policies barring employees from inquiring about or collecting information regarding citizenship or immigration status unless required by federal or state law.
The Natick Select Board in December declared its policy as not a true sanctuary city directive, “like Somerville and Cambridge,” while the Medford City Council also approved a similar ordinance in January, making it a so-called “Welcoming City.”
Medford has purchased 8,000 “know your rights” cards slated to be distributed to immigrants, alerting them of their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights of not allowing agents to enter their homes without a signed warrant and not speaking to or answering questions from them, according to Boston 25.
On Beacon Hill, House Democrats rejected a Republican-led effort to reform the SJC’s 2017 Lunn decision that would have allowed local law enforcement to detain someone wanted by federal immigration authorities for up to 12 hours after their court proceedings end.
The rejection, during a debate on the House’s $61 billion fiscal year 2026 budget last week, triggered Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy to sound off against the Democratic supermajority.
“Unlike Maura Healey, I will never allow politics to dictate decisions that put the safety of Massachusetts residents at risk,” Kennealy said in a statement. “Let’s be clear: if your laws protect illegal immigrants from federal enforcement, you are, by definition, a sanctuary state. That must end.”
Gov. Healey has repeatedly declared that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state, even after federal authorities reportedly arrested 370 illegal aliens during an “enhanced operation,” which largely focused on transnational organized crime and gangs, including the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios, and 18th Street.
Of the 370 people arrested in the March effort, 205 had significant criminal convictions or charges, ICE Boston reported. Border czar Tom Homan quickly vowed to return to the Bay State, as he said there is more “work to do.”
Healey has questioned Homan’s “fixation” on Massachusetts.
“To be quite honest, we’re a very safe state,” the governor told reporters after Homan’s initial visit. “We’re not a sanctuary state. Local, state, and federal law enforcement continue to work with and partner with one another.”
Before a Congressional committee probing sanctuary cities in early March, Mayor Michelle Wu touted Boston as the “safest major city” in the country, taking a swipe at the federal administration for spreading fear and undermining police work.
Crime
David Antonio Moran, 19, will be charged in Connecticut as a fugitive from justice.
A Connecticut man is facing charges as Boston police allege he was part of a crowd responsible for igniting a police cruiser with fireworks during an Oct. 5 street takeover in the South End.
David Antonio Moran, 19, of Norwalk, was arrested early Thursday morning, a Boston Police Department spokesperson told reporters. Moran — also known as David Moran-Chavez — was apprehended “as a result of a painstaking investigation,” the spokesperson said.
He is charged with conspiracy, burning a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of fireworks, and disturbing the peace in connection with the early morning takeover at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street.
The Boston Police Department is expected to address local media and share further details at 2:30 p.m.
The chaotic incident was one of several street takeovers in Eastern Massachusetts that morning, with large crowds shutting down streets in multiple communities as drivers performed high-speed stunts and spectators looked on. Gov. Maura Healey responded with the announcement of a $14 million safety grant, expressing “zero tolerance” for the meetups.
“It poses a real significant threat to public safety and certainly harms quality of life in our neighborhoods and communities,” she said in October.
Moran will appear in a Connecticut courthouse, where he will be charged as a fugitive from justice. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Boston police previously arrested two Rhode Island teens in connection with the South End street takeover; one of them was allegedly seen throwing objects at police officers, while the other was purportedly spotted striking a cruiser with a pole.
“Boston Police officers and detectives methodically identified and followed evidence related to this street takeover,” the department spokesperson said Thursday. “BPD worked with several law enforcement partners in the Bay State, and received tremendous support from private citizens and businesses via video and information sharing and we thank them all.”
The department encouraged anyone with information, photos, or videos to contact Boston police detectives at 617-343-5619 or provide an anonymous tip at BPDnews.com/CrimeStoppers.
Police are investigating thefts from employees at Boston City Hall.
Several workers told Boston police that hundreds of dollars in cash, debit and credit cards were stolen, among other items, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, according to a police report. Unauthorized charges totaling hundreds more dollars were also made at Macy’s and Walgreens.
“Boston City Hall must be a safe and welcoming space all year round for residents, visitors and our City employees,” a city spokesperson said in a statement to NBC10 Boston. “Boston Police are investigating this incident to ensure that any needed security protocols or resources will be addressed.”
Victims reported having seen an unknown man wearing a blue face mask, sweatpants, a dark jacket and a brown beanie.
“I was there on Monday and I was there on Tuesday, and it was very quiet,” Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn told NBC10 Boston. “Apparently, there was a person walking from office to office, and had the free rein of the building for a period of time.”
Flynn said he is concerned by the possibility of confidential information being taken.
“There could have been information about taxes, there could have been someone’s Social Security number, mortgage documents or car-related information,” he said.
He’s calling for tighter security after the incident.
“We can’t sweep this under the rug as if it’s only a minor incident of theft,” Flynn said. “It’s more than that.”
ERIC BENET Holiday cheer abounds at this pair of shows by the R&B smooth-talker, who released the seasonally celebratory “This Christmas” earlier this autumn. The collection — his first holiday offering — includes traditional cuts like “Oh, Holy Night” and “Please Come Home for Christmas” as well as two originals: The call for grace “Christmas Morning,” which features two of his daughters, and the swinging “It’s Christmas,” a duet with jazz-soul vocalist Stacey Ryan. Dec. 8, 6 and 9:30 p.m. City Winery Boston. 617-933-8047, citywinery.com/boston
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER “LOTTO,” the latest full-length from this Philly sludge-gaze outfit, attempts to make sense of the world’s chaos by unpacking modern society amid gargantuan riffs and rumbling drums. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Arts at the Armory, Somerville. artsatthearmory.org
PINK MOUNTAINTOPS This side project of Stephen McBean, who fronts the hulking prog-punk outfit Black Mountain, adds a bit more power-psych twinkle while still hitting hard. Dec. 10, 7 p.m. Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge. 617-864-3278, mideastoffers.com
MAURA K. JOHNSTON
JASON RINGENBERG Ringenberg has traveled some in his musical career, from the high-test, slash-and-burn alt-country of Jason and the Scorchers to the music he makes for kids (and grown-ups) as Farmer Jason. Along the way, he picked up a Lifetime Achievement award from the Americana Music Association. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. $17. The Parlour, 1119 North Main St., Providence. 401-383-5858. www.theparlourri.com
THE TALKING HEARTS’ HONKY TONK HOLIDAY It’s a holiday dance party with these local purveyors of ’60s- and ’70s-vintage country music. And if you need to learn some moves or freshen up what you’ve got, show up a half hour early for free dance lessons. Dec. 6, 8 p.m. $30. Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. 617-776-6896. www.burren.com
ANNA TIVEL AND JEFFREY MARTIN These partners, both with recent records (Tivel: “Animal Poem”; Martin: “Thank God We Left the Garden”) are touring together again. Tivel describes the proceedings as follows: “I kick things off nightly with new songs in old pants. Then Jeffrey reminds us all how to access the very good molten core of humanity.” Dec. 9 and 10, 8 p.m. $35. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. 617-492-7679. www.passim.org
STUART MUNRO
TIGER MOAN BATTLE OF THE SAXES Singer and multi-instrumentalist Amy Kucharik and her vintage blues outfit hold a first Sunday residency featuring special guests each month. This time, it’s a duel between two local saxophone stars: John Clark and Erica Risti. Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. The Burren Back Room, 247 Elm St., Somerville. burren.com/music
ERIC MINTEL QUARTET’S A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS Mosesian Arts Centers’ Chords and Cocktails series presents pianist-composer Mintel’s group featuring saxophonist-flutist Nelson Hill, bassist Jack Hegyi, and drummer Dave Mohn, well known for their Dave Brubeck tributes, performing Vince Guaraldi’s beloved score for 1965’s classic “Peanuts” animated special. Dec. 9, 7 p.m. $29-$40. Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. mosesianarts.org
DAVID LEACH QUARTET GBH Jazz Nights presents pianist, composer, and poet Leach with saxophonist Lihi Haruvi, drummer Dor Herskovits, and ubiquitous bassist John Lockwood, performing originals rooted in jazz improvisation, while incorporating influences from American folk, 20th-century classical, progressive metal, and more. Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m. Free, registration encouraged. GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square. wgbh.org/events
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
TALLIS SCHOLARS Under the leadership of founding director Peter Phillips, the sterling British vocal ensemble makes its customary Adventide appearance on the Boston Early Music Festival concert stage. This year’s program features English music dedicated to the Virgin Mary, by composers including Tallis, Taverner, Byrd, Britten, and Matthew Martin. St. Paul Church, Cambridge. Dec. 5, 8 p.m. 617-661-1812, www.bemf.org
BOSTON BAROQUE Former Boston Baroque assistant conductor Filippo Ciabatti makes his public company debut leading the company’s annual historically informed performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” featuring soloists Amanda Forsythe, Paula Murrihy, Thomas Cooley, and Roderick Williams with the Boston Baroque Orchestra and a 25-voice chorus. Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 7, 3 p.m. NEC’s Jordan Hall. 617-987-8600, baroque.boston
MISTRAL MUSIC This local ensemble helmed by Julie Scolnik welcomes the holidays with its traditional Baroque Big Band program, featuring a large baroque ensemble and several assorted soloists performing music by Bach, Handel, Rameau, and more. Dec. 6, 5 p.m. St. Paul’s Church, Brookline; Dec. 7, 4 p.m., West Parish Church, Andover. 978-474-6222, www.mistralmusic.org
A.Z. MADONNA
BLACK NATIVITY One of the most vibrant and cherished holiday traditions hereabouts, “Black Nativity” tells the Nativity story through the lens of the Black experience, with a cast of more than 75 performers. At the helm once again is Roxbury native Voncille Ross, who has been directing “Black Nativity” for nearly two decades. The production combines the “song-play” of legendary poet and playwright Langston Hughes with the music of Boston composer-arranger John Andrew Ross. All of it is gloriously sung by talented sopranos, baritones, and tenors, punctuated by percussion and expressive dance under the leadership of ballet mistress and principal dancer Desiree Springer. Narrating the show is Milton Wright, who also serves as the adult chorus director, working with his associate Marilyn Andry, while Steven Hunter Sr. is the orchestral director. Dec. 5-21. Presented by the National Center of Afro-American Artists at Robert J. Orchard Stage, Emerson Paramount Center. 617-824- 8400, www.blacknativity.org
SWEENEY CLAUS: THE DEMON FATHER OF SLEET STREET It says something heartening about our fair city that so many Bostonians make room on their holiday calendars for Ryan Landry’s brand of inspired mayhem. His new show is a marriage of the Santa Claus story with “Sweeney Todd,” the 1979 Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler classic about a vengeful barber whose dotty helpmeet turns his victims into meat pies. While incorporating video more prominently than he has in the past, Landry blends the melodies of musical-theater classics with his own deranged lyrics, in a combination of homage and desecration. Directed by Kiki Samko and featuring a stellar performance as Sweeney by Thain Bertin in his first outing with Landry’s Gold Dust Orphans. Playing Sweeney’s accomplice, Mrs. Leaveit, is Landry himself. Through Dec. 21. Production by Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans. At Iron Wolf Theatre, South Boston Lithuanian Citizens’ Association, South Boston. Age guideline is 18-plus. www.tickettailor.com/events/thegolddustorphans/1732579/
MIDWINTER REVELS: A SCANDINAVIAN STORY FOR CHRISTMAS In Revels’s annual celebration of the winter solstice, inspired this year by Gregory Maguire’s “Matchless,” a young boy finds “warmth and light in the darkest days” on an island “so far north that it snows from September to April.” Cast members perform Scandinavian songs and dances, accompanied by an intergenerational chorus. Directed by Debra Wise, with music direction by Elijah Botkin and a script by Wise, Patrick Swanson, and Nicole Galland. On hand will be such performers as David Coffin, David Keohane, Kristian Espiritu, Joshua Wolf Coleman, and Eliza Fichter. Dec. 12-28, with a “virtual encore viewing window” Dec. 28-Jan. 11. Sanders Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617-496-2222, boxoffice.harvard.edu
DON AUCOIN
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE… The celebrated Canadian troupe’s Christmas show illuminates the joy of the season with a show filled with spectacular lighting, lively (loud!) music that transforms familiar tunes, and feats of physical prowess that range from the riotous to the breathtaking. A sweet story line based on the titular book is icing on the cake. Great for all ages. Through Dec. 14. $36 and up. Boch Center Wang Theatre. www.bochcenter.org
JOSÉ MATEO BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER Now in its 37th year, this charming, intimate, and affordable production boasts a simplified story line, Tchaikovsky’s luminous score, and more than 100 children joining in a cast of professionals. This one tends toward warm and cozy, which makes it especially accessible for some younger viewers. Dec. 6-Dec. 21. $25 and up. Strand Theatre, Dorchester. www.ballettheatre.org
SEÁN CURRAN COMPANY / DECENT DANCE Boston native Seán Curran fosters his hometown connections with this collaboration involving one of his company’s founding members, Tony Guglietti, alongside his longtime partner Kristin Wagner (collectively Decent Dance) plus Brian Feigenbaum for “Through Lines.” Celebrating legacy, lineage, and connections, the intergenerational concert features members of Curran’s New York-based company joined by dancers from Boston and beyond. Dec. 6-7. $25.31 and up. Dance Complex, Cambridge. www.dancecomplex.org
UNITED DANCE COMPANY Championing inclusion and working with the Down syndrome population, the company showcases rigorously trained artists of diverse abilities in “The Extraordinary Nutcracker.” An original interpretation billed as the area’s only version of the ballet that is narrated, the family-friendly production transforms a young girl’s holiday journey into a tale about courage, creativity, and love. Dec. 6-7. $46.75. Calderwood Pavilion. www.uniteddance.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
MARTIN PURYEAR: NEXUS Puryear represented the United States at the Venice Biennale in 2019 with a display of enigmatic sculptural works that, taken together, echoed the fractious unease of a country at war with itself, confronting old ghosts thought long laid to rest. So, what now? “Nexus,” not quite so pointed — it spans several decades of the artist’s 50-plus-year career, the first long-view survey in almost two decades — but it isn’t afraid to connect the obvious dots. Included in this show is “A Column for Sally Hemings,” made for that 2019 Venice display, which pays homage to the enslaved woman who bore Thomas Jefferson five children; in it, an iron rod topped with a leg shackle embeds in a fluted classical column, an emblem of a fire that never seems to go out. Through Feb. 8. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, mfa.org
AN INDIGENOUS PRESENT For a long time — and until very recently — “Indigenous” and “present” might have been regarded by the broader public as anathema. The dynamic culture of Indigenous peoples has survived years of assault, neglect, and disregard as archeology, but it’s risen in recent years to greater and greater prominence to arrive at a moment when its vibrance is undeniable. This exhibition takes in much of that arc: Spanning 100 years of art made by Indigenous people, it underscores cultural resilience over generations of hardship to arrive on triumph in the here and now. Through March 8. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org
GRACE HARTIGAN: THE GIFT OF ATTENTION In 1958, Hartigan was the only woman selected for “The New American Painting” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, the launching pad for Abstract Expressionism as a popular movement and the foundation of the biggest careers in American art history (Jackson Pollock, anyone?). Hartigan enjoyed a few fruitful years of wide acclaim, but her star fell as others became ensconced in the firmament. Why is anyone’s guess, though being a woman was rarely good for one’s career. Hartigan’s restless energy compelled her to stray far stylistically from the tried-and-true AbEx herd, which made her harder to pin down — also not a great career move, perhaps, but ultimately far better for the soul. Through Jan. 11. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, Maine. 207-775-6148, portlandmuseum.org
MURRAY WHYTE
OBJECTS OF DEVOTION In the best circumstances, art is made with singular intention and a surrender to process. Art-making, in that light, can be seen as spiritual; time in the studio, with its own ritual practices and altars, is like going to church. In this show, curator Stace Brandt explores the kinship between art and spirituality, from how pragmatic limitations like space, time, and money shape artwork to how personal history entwines with it. Artists include Jon Doucette, Jamieson Edson, and Virgilijs Tilks. Through Jan. 17. Distillery Gallery, 516 East 2nd Street, South Boston. www.distillery-gallery.com/exhibitions/2025/objects
CATE McQUAID
COMEDY FOR JAMAICA FEATURING KAM PATTERSON One of the newest “Saturday Night Live” cast members for season 51, Patterson headlines this benefit to help Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Dec. 7, 6 p.m. $51.55. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
CRISTINA MARIANI “I’m just sensitive, emotionally. I’ll cry in movies when my favorite character dies. Like when Leonardo DiCaprio died, I cried so hard they kicked me out of ‘Django Unchained.’” Dec. 5-6, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $28.95-$31.95 The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge. www.thecomedystudio.com
POPCORN COMEDY Peter Liu, who cofounded this monthly show, recently moved to New York City, but is back to headline the last edition of the year. Hosted by Guerby Laguerre and Jason Fishman, with Nicholas Stubblefield, Shelby LeCuyer, Sarah May, and Kevin Lemory. Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. $23.18. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. www.eventbrite.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
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