The Resistance Center has partnered with community organizers across Western Massachusetts on a series of campaigns in Northampton, Greenfield, Easthampton, Springfield, Amherst, and Conway to pass “safe city” measures which limit collaboration between local officials and federal immigration agencies in order to build community trust and defend the civil rights of immigrants and their families. A trend is taking hold across the valley, the state, and the country. Communities are taking steps at a local level to protect the safety and dignity of all of their residents––regardless of immigration status. In 2019 alone, Springfield, Easthampton, Greenfield, and Northampton have all passed safe city ordinances, ensuring that their communities are welcoming and safe for everyone. These measures prevent local officials from asking about anyone’s immigration status and bar police from acting as federal immigration enforcement agents. When immigrants and their families can interact with local officials and seek public resources in their communities without fear of deportation, detention, or family separation, public health and community safety increase. From Greenfield to Springfield, we’ve seen that when communities stand up to defend the civil rights of immigrants and their families, the whole city benefits.