02.07.22 —Northeastern Law’s Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) recently submitted testimony to the Massachusetts General Court’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security in support of the proposed Safe Communities Act (H.2418/S.1579), which seeks to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents by limiting state law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

PHRGE documented the adoption of 54 “safe community” policies in 48 Massachusetts municipalities between January 2017 and January 2021. The report found that more than 90% of these policies include provisions that seek to reduce voluntary collaboration between local police officers and federal immigration-enforcement officials.

“The recent adoption of ‘safe community’ policies in so many Massachusetts municipalities is a sign that our commonwealth is more than ready for the Safe Communities Act — and that the time has come to provide the protections embedded in the Safe Communities Act to all immigrants living in the commonwealth,” wrote Elizabeth Ennen ’08, director of PHRGE and author of the report.

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The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

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