Chelsea City Ordinance #188 regarding solicitation of immigration status was passed after its second reading at City Council’s January 21 meeting.
This new ordinance will bar civil servants from asking about a person’s immigration status unless it is relevant to a crime being investigated. Ordinances are required to pass two separate readings by City Council, and #188 passed both with no amendments.
“I believe you all understand the issues and you certainly know the climate in this country now,” Chelsea Human Rights Commission member Joanne Ladio said. “A traffic stop and a police encounter are just that. They are not and should not be a test of citizenship. Please keep Chelsea welcoming for all, and I appreciate you passing this ordinance.”
While City Manager Marty Colburn emphasized that civil servants soliciting someone’s immigration status without cause was not something done within the Chelsea community, this ordinance will make this standard official and establish “potential consequences” if it were to happen.
“We will do a one-page report to all the boards and commissions and submit it to them in advance,” Colburn said. “We’ll have a staff member attend one of these meetings and go through it with them and make sure all the boards and commissions are well-informed.”