Hundreds of residents gathered at Somerville High School on Saturday to rally against President Donald Trump’s executive order to strip federal funding from so called “sanctuary cities.”
“Today we are here to celebrate and support our sanctuary city status,” said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone at Saturday’s One Somerville rally. “But let me be clear, when we say we are one Somerville - it goes well beyond that. Somerville will stand with you regardless of your race, your creed, your color, your nationality, legal status, religion, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. When we say, we are one Somerville - we mean all are welcome and equal here.”
This year marks 30 years since Somerville was designated a so-called “sanctuary city." Somerville is among a number of Massachusetts cities and towns with the designation, including Boston, Chelsea, and Holyoke.
In the weeks following last month’s executive order, Curtatone and other Somerville officials have said Somerville would remain a sanctuary city regardless of President Trump’s policies.
On Saturday, hundreds of residents with signs gathered to show their support for Somerville’s sanctuary city status.
Anne-Marie Fitzgerald, of East Somerville, went to the rally to show her support for her neighbors and friends in the community.
“This is what we spend our weekends now … I think that there’s something about physicality that sends a message,” said Fitzgerald “I’ve lived here for 20 years and I never really thought about Somerville as a sanctuary. But I know what my neighborhood looks like and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Alongside Mayor Curtatone, a handful of other speakers - many of them immigrants - told the crowd their stories of immigrating to the United States.
Habib Ulah Akhlaqi is a student at Somerville High School. He and some of his classmates were among these speakers. Akhlaqi was born in Afghanistan, but grew up in Iran. He said growing up, he constantly asked himself who he was and where he belonged.
“None of those countries accepted me because Afghanistan is a war and Iran government and some of those people didn’t accept me because they don’t like refugees,” said Akhlaqi. “Before I get to America, I hear a lot about America which is: it doesn’t matter your religion, it doesn’t matter your gender, your nationality - everyone is American.”
The rally was organized initially to support Somerville’s so called "sanctuary city" status, but many residents were also there to show support for all immigrants and refugees in light of last week’s temporary ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Jeremiah Jordan was at the rally with his wife and twin sons. Jordan said his family came to the rally because keeping Somerville’s diversity is important to them.
“It’s important that we respect all people - no human is illegal,” said Jordan. “Somerville is a city that does respect everyone and it’s important to have that diversity, to have that culture. I personally get frustrated every time someone says they’re not here illegally. I say, go back a couple generations in your family and see if someone didn’t come here illegally. It’s just a different time, a different era. Everybody needs their chance.”
Mayor Joe Curtatone echoed Jordan’s sentiments in his rally speech, but also urged attendees to start conversations with all citizens - regardless of their opinions or views.
“We have to start bridging our political divides by talking to one another and finding where we share common ground,” said Curtatone. “I struggle with this daily. There are family members of mine, friends that are on the other side of this issue. So I’ve had to do something that is very hard which is not get angry with them and have some empathy and listen to them and ask them questions to find our shared values because I still, like you, believe we Americans share core common values of humanity, of civility, and equality for everyone.”
