Holyoke demonstrators demand council drop anti-sanctuary message in resolution
HOLYOKE — Nearly 50 demonstrators gathered Tuesday evening on the steps of City Hall to protest a City Council resolution they say threatens immigrant protections and encourages unconstitutional cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The rally, Holyoke Against ICE-Holyoke Contra ICE Demonstration, was timed to coincide with a scheduled council meeting. A resolution that seeks to declare that Holyoke is not a sanctuary city was on the agenda.
Although the measure has been tabled for months, organizers said the protest was a desired show of solidarity.
Claire McGale, one of the event's organizers, said the demonstration was about more than opposing the resolution. It was about standing with residents who feel overlooked and unsupported.
"They feel oppressed. They've had the short end of the deal," McGale said. "This shows people that we care and have their backs. That's just as important as showing the City Council we don't approve of what they're doing."
Outside Holyoke City Hall demonstrators show their dissatisfaction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy. Sept. 9, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Claire McGale, a member of the group The Real Majority Holyoke, speaks to the gathered crowd outside Holyoke City Hall on Tuesday. Sept. 9, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
The resolution, introduced in June by councilors Kevin Jourdain and Linda Vacon, urges city departments to fully comply with federal immigration laws, especially when applying for federal grants. It also calls on the Department of Homeland Security to notify the city of any violations.
Jourdain and Vacon argue that Holyoke could lose up to $10 million in federal funding for schools and public safety if it is perceived as noncompliant by the federal government. They cite a 2017 ordinance passed during the first Trump administration which states that city officials must not knowingly violate local, state or federal laws.
While some protesters accused the councilors of misrepresenting city policy and stoking fear, others expressed more nuanced views on immigration enforcement.
Jose Estrada, 56, of Holyoke, said he understands both sides of the debate. Raised in New York, he recalled overcrowding and said some deported individuals are criminals.
"If they're not appreciating being here and are causing problems, then what's the point?" Estrada said. "It just leads to more crowding and fighting."
An organizer and member of the group The Real Majority Holyoke, Claire McGale, speaks to the gathered crowd outside Holyoke City Hall. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
Others, like Devon Tomlinson, 54, and Maria Jiménez, 56, emphasized the importance of compassion. Tomlinson said the government shouldn't bar people from staying in the U.S., especially if they were born elsewhere. Jiménez added that immigrants who work, raise families and start new lives should be allowed to stay — but criminals should be deported.
Mayor Joshua Garcia has stated that Holyoke is not a sanctuary city, noting the term has no legal definition. He emphasized that the city follows state and local laws while remaining committed to compassion and inclusion.
In a statement released ahead of the rally, Garcia clarified that while the council's proposal calls for cooperation with Homeland Security, setting such policy is the mayor's responsibility — not the council's.
"I also want to make clear that we do not do the work of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE," Garcia said.
Garcia reaffirmed his administration's stance in January by reissuing a 2014 executive order originally signed by former Mayor Alex B. Morse. Under the policy, Holyoke police do not honor or enforce civil immigration detainer requests from ICE or Customs and Border Protection if the individual would otherwise be released.
This policy is grounded in Massachusetts law, as affirmed by a 2017 Supreme Judicial Court ruling that local law enforcement cannot detain individuals solely for immigration violations.
McGale said Garcia's position aligns with other mayors across the state who rejected the "sanctuary city" label after the U.S. Department of Justice released a list of such cities.
Protesters show their dissatisfaction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy. Sept. 9, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
"A lot of mayors said the term isn't legal — it's subjective," McGale said. "They stood by their communities but didn't care what label was used. Vacon and Jourdain took that out of context to say the mayor declared we're not a sanctuary city, so now we need to tell Homeland Security."
She also criticized the council resolution's wording, saying it misuses a city ordinance about following federal and state laws and the Constitution.
McGale warned that while the resolution might help secure federal funding, it could increase fear among students.
"Sure, you might fix the roof, but there will be fewer kids under it," she said. "And the ones who stay will have seen their friends terrified."
She said national politics are seeping into local government — and that residents should push back.
"If we stand against that nationally, we should stand against it here," McGale said. "The fight is local."
In May, the Trump administration listed Holyoke as one of 11 Massachusetts cities that block federal immigration enforcement. Garcia publicly disputed the claim, and the list has since been revised. Now, only Boston is considered a sanctuary city.
Jourdain and Vacon previously told The Republican they introduced the resolution to support Garcia and to avoid losing federal funding.
Jourdain said losing up to $10 million would be devastating for Holyoke, a city of about 38,000 residents. The city's $70 million tax base wouldn't be enough to make up the difference, he said.
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