By City Councilor Todd Taylor
The cities of Chelsea and Somerville filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration in response to its threats to cut funding to sanctuary cities. I strongly oppose this legal action because it puts Chelsea’s essential federal funding at risk—funding that has been crucial to the city’s infrastructure, public safety, and education.
I do not believe this lawsuit will be successful, as the federal government has routinely withheld funds to encourage states to adopt certain policies. For example, the federal government used this approach to enforce the 21-year-old drinking age.
I have always been on the record as opposing sanctuary city status for Chelsea. However, I have always sympathized with immigrants seeking freedom and economic opportunity. After all, my wife and my mother immigrated to this country. This country has always needed immigration, but we need an orderly, measured system—not an open-border free-for-all that has led to unprecedented costs for our state and city budgets.
In the end, this isn’t about immigration policy, it’s about fiscal responsibility. The state cannot continue its right-to-shelter policy, which has cost Massachusetts taxpayers more than $1.5 billion per year, and the city of Chelsea cannot afford to lose a single cent of federal aid. The people of Chelsea have the right to decide their policy, but they must also understand its cost.
In the past year alone, the federal government provided Chelsea with $14.5 million, and over the last 15 years, the city has received more than $200 million in direct federal aid—not including additional federal funds allocated through the state. These resources are critical to the long-term financial stability of Chelsea. As a City Councilor, this is my priority for my constituents.
This lawsuit is a knee-jerk reaction that will only attract unwanted attention and jeopardize our funding. It paints a giant target on the city. Political grandstanding does not serve our residents, who deserve to understand the real consequences of this lawsuit. We are already facing a fragile financial position. We should not risk our ability to protect our residents, pave our roads, and educate our children just to make a political statement.
I urge city leaders to prioritize Chelsea residents’ needs because defying the federal government for optics is a dangerous gamble with real-world consequences.
Todd Taylor is a Chelsea City Councilor for District 1.