To: Mayor Joshua Garcia, Chief of Police Brian Keenan, and Members of Holyoke City Council
HOLYOKE AGAINST ICE
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It has come to our attention that City Councilor at large Kevin Jourdain and Ward 5 City Councilor Linda Vacon have spearheaded an order in Holyoke City Council designed to signal our cooperation, as a city, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This willingness to cosign the unconstitutional abductions of our friends and neighbors does not represent the real majority in Holyoke. Recent demographic information suggests that Holyoke's Hispanic/ Latinx community makes up 51.6% of our population and an additional 6.4% of our city are immigrants. The numbers currently quoted on the federal level describe the Hispanic population of the United States, not the undocumented population, and ICE recently detained a green card holder; the majority of residents in our city are at risk. We reject this order and we call on the Mayor to veto this and any further orders which are crafted to further endanger our communities, undocumented or otherwise, under the threat of deportation and detention.
This order has been moved to the Development and Government Relations Committee which next meets on August 4th.
The text of the order is below:
This order has been moved to the Development and Government Relations Committee which next meets on August 4th.
The text of the order is below:
70. Jourdain, Vacon- Ordered, that the following Resolution of the City Council be adopted and a copy be transmitted to the Department of Homeland Security and our federal delegation and the White House. It shall also be used by all departments of the city with their applications for federal funds and grants when necessary.
1. Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
2. Mayor Joshua Garcia has publicly declared that Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
3. The City Council hereby declares Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
4. Holyoke adopted Ordinance 2-68 “No elected official, department head or other city employee shall issue any order that shall knowingly violate any law or regulation of the federal, state or local government or the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the Charter of the City of Holyoke, or any lawful order of a court of competent jurisdiction. No such order given shall be valid or shall be enforced by the City of Holyoke or its departments.”
5. To the extent, Holyoke has been deemed a sanctuary city by the federal government for failing to comply with any federal law or regulation, the Department of Homeland Security should notify the Holyoke City Council and Mayor of its specific violation and what steps are needed to remedy.
6. The City of Holyoke and all of its employees and agents hereby agree to fully comply with all federal laws and regulations. To the extent the city, its employees or agents have or are violating any federal law or regulation, they shall immediately cease and fully comply.
7. The City of Holyoke requests removal from any identification of our city as a sanctuary city by any federal department or agency.
We ask that the mayor veto this order. We ask that our Police uphold their oath to protect our constitutional rights and serve the needs of the people. We ask that our city council take heed and represent the interests of their full constituency.
Thank you.
Why is this important?
TELL OUR HOLYOKE CITY GOVERNMENT THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO COOPERATE WITH THE ILLEGAL ABDUCTION AND DETENTION OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
On June 17th, 2025 The following resolution went before Holyoke city council
On June 17th, 2025 The following resolution went before Holyoke city council
70. Jourdain, Vacon- Ordered, that the following Resolution of the City Council be adopted and a copy be transmitted to the Department of Homeland Security and our federal delegation and the White House. It shall also be used by all departments of the city with their applications for federal funds and grants when necessary.
1. Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
2. Mayor Joshua Garcia has publicly declared that Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
3. The City Council hereby declares Holyoke is not a sanctuary city.
4. Holyoke adopted Ordinance 2-68 “No elected official, department head or other city employee shall issue any order that shall knowingly violate any law or regulation of the federal, state or local government or the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the Charter of the City of Holyoke, or any lawful order of a court of competent jurisdiction. No such order given shall be valid or shall be enforced by the City of Holyoke or its departments.”
5. To the extent, Holyoke has been deemed a sanctuary city by the federal government for failing to comply with any federal law or regulation, the Department of Homeland Security should notify the Holyoke City Council and Mayor of its specific violation and what steps are needed to remedy.
6. The City of Holyoke and all of its employees and agents hereby agree to fully comply with all federal laws and regulations. To the extent the city, its employees or agents have or are violating any federal law or regulation, they shall immediately cease and fully comply.
7. The City of Holyoke requests removal from any identification of our city as a sanctuary city by any federal department or agency.
The matter was moved to the 'Development and Government Relations Committee' which next meets on August 4 at 6:30 pm
This is unacceptable. We must remind them who they work for.
We will be protesting at City Hall on August 4th starting at 5pm to be heard by councilors as they enter the building. This is the fight. When they come for our neighbors...
