Immigration measure OK'd by Amherst Select Board; heads to Town Meeting

By SCOTT MERZBACH
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 17, 2012

AMHERST - The Select Board has thrown its support behind a resolution critical of a federal immigration enforcement program and the town's participation in it - and now Town Meeting will weigh in on the matter.

Residents concerned about the Secure Communities Act sought to pass the resolution but town officials said the measure could jeopardize state and federal police grants. Town Manager John Musante worked with town counsel Kopelman & Paige to come up with a revised version of the resolution, which states the town's intention to not participate in federal law enforcement programs related to immigration enforcement.

The Select Board Monday unanimously supported the resolution.

"It does reflect what Amherst is about," said Select Board member Aaron Hayden.

Ruth Hooke of Precinct 8, who drafted the original version, said she is satisfied with the revision. The intention of the article is to counter the Secure Communities program run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which supporters say unnecessarily involves local law enforcement in federal immigration policy, may put a financial burden on the town, increases distrust among immigrants and could violate the town's human rights bylaw.

The Select Board and Musante agreed to add this clause: "to the extent permissible by law, immigration detainer requests will not be honored by the Amherst police department."

The petition also asks municipal employees to not monitor, stop or interrogate any people to determine their immigration status.

Last summer, the Northampton City Council adopted a resolution calling for city employees and police to avoid participation in the Secure Communities program. Its resolution also asked all city employees to avoid participation in other federal immigration efforts that call into question fundamental rights under the state and U.S. constitutions.

Immigration measure OK'd by Amherst Select Board; heads to Town Meeting | GazetteNET