Driscoll Statement on Safe Communities Act

BOSTON, Feb. 2 – State Representative Bill Driscoll Jr. issued the following statement Thursday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning travelers and refugees from seven countries:

"Like many residents of the Commonwealth, I am deeply concerned by some of the the political developments of the past week. Many of the decisions that have been taken recently at the national level are cause for alarm.

"On Wednesday I attended a rally with many of my freshman colleagues. This protest attracted hundreds of Massachusetts residents incensed at the discriminatory travel ban imposed on legal visa-holders by President Trump. I was proud to stand in the Boston Common with my fellow State Representative, Juana Matias, in support of her Safe Communities bill (HD.3052).

"Over the past seven days, many of my constituents have expressed their support for this particular piece of legislation. Given the diverse nature of both Milton and Randolph, I felt it was essential to add my name as a co-sponsor on this bill. HD.3052 seeks to bar state agencies and employees from helping the federal government to establish any discriminatory “registration” system based on religion, national origin, or any other protected identity.

"Given the current climate, this bill is an important statement of Massachusetts’ identity as a place of inclusion. No resident in the Commonwealth needs to be reminded that our state was the landing place for some of the first immigrants to this land. Going forward, we must send a signal to Washington that Massachusetts is, and will remain, a place welcoming of all."