City Manager issues executive order affirming commitment to sanctuary city status
Special to the Record
City Manager Fidel Maltez at a joint press conference with
Boston, Cambridge, Lynn, Newton, and Somerville officials
last month.
Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez has issued an executive order that he stated reinforces Chelsea’s longstanding commitment to public safety, constitutional protections, and its designation as a sanctuary city.
The Executive Order clarifies that the Chelsea Police Department will not participate in federal civil immigration enforcement and prohibits the use of City-owned property as staging grounds for such operations. It ensures that emergency medical assistance will be provided to anyone injured during enforcement actions, restricts access to nonpublic areas of City buildings without a valid judicial warrant, and reaffirms officers’ duty to intervene against excessive use of force, consistent with state law.
“The City of Chelsea, through the City Manager’s Office and any other City department with authority over physical property, shall not permit any City-owned or City-controlled property—including but not limited to City-owned buildings, parks, parking lots, and any interior or exterior portion thereof—to be used as a staging area, processing location, operations base, or any similar purpose in furtherance of civil immigration enforcement operations,” the executive order states. “Prohibited uses of City-owned or City-controlled property include, but are not limited to, assembling, mobilizing, or deploying personnel, vehicles, equipment, or materials for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement. City-owned and City-controlled property is not available to the general public for similar activities; civil immigration enforcement operations are not an exception.”
The executive order also states that in accordance with Massachusetts General Law and state police officer standards and training, that “if any Chelsea Police Department Officer observes any law enforcement official using or attempting to use physical force, including deadly force, beyond that which is necessary or objectively reasonable based on the totality of circumstances, the Chelsea Police Department officer shall intervene to prevent the observed official’s use of unnecessary or unreasonable force, regardless of the rank of the observed official or the agency for which the official works, unless intervening would result in imminent harm to the Chelsea Police Department officer or another identifiable individual.”
The order builds on actions taken by neighboring communities, including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Lynn, Newton, and Somerville, which recently came together in a joint press event to stand against unjust and unconstitutional immigration enforcement, according to City Manager Fidel Maltez’s office. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan also attended the event.
Maltez stated that the city will continue working with state partners and regional communities to safeguard residents and foster trust between residents and local government, while respecting the constitutional balance of powers and the lawful roles of federal, state, and local authorities.