Somerville-Chelsea Lawsuit Press Packet

Press Release

Complaint

Case No. 25-10442

Filed February 23, 2025

Injunction

Case No. 1:25-cv-10442

Filed June 3, 2025

FAQ

What is this case about?

This case challenges the Trump Administration’s efforts to coerce cities into participating in mass deportation efforts.  The case has been brought in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Like many local governments across the country, Chelsea and Somerville have adopted policies that limit the circumstances under which their local police expend already-constrained resources to actively assist with immigration enforcement. Communities are safer when residents trust police officers and know that they can come forward to report crime without fear of immigration enforcement.

This case seeks to protect the right of cities, consistent with federal law, to make public safety decisions that are in the best interests of their residents. Specifically, the case challenges a series of Executive Orders and directives from Trump and federal agency officials—all of which threaten to terminate federal funds to sanctuary cities and/or prosecute those who do not dedicate scarce municipal resources towards immigration enforcement.

Why are Chelsea and Somerville seeking a preliminary injunction?  

A preliminary injunction preserves the status quo and stops harm from occurring while the lawsuit proceeds. The Executive Orders and Agency Directives that we challenge in this lawsuit are already causing harm to Somerville and Chelsea. The Trump Administration's threats to withdraw all federal funding are causing immense uncertainty that makes it impossible to meaningfully plan and budget. If the cuts were allowed to go into effect, that would have a devastating impact on a whole range of critical services including emergency shelter, roadway safety measures, infrastructure improvements, and much more. A preliminary injunction would block implementation of the Executive Orders and Agency Directives while the lawsuit proceeds.

What are the next steps for this case?

A preliminary injunction is a first step, meant to preserve the status quo and keep harm from occurring while the lawsuit proceeds. Whatever the outcome of this particular motion, Chelsea and Somerville will continue to fight for their constitutional rights in court, in order to preserve federal funding for essential services and ensure the safety and well-being of all their residents.

Why do Somerville and Chelsea have sanctuary city/welcoming community policies?

Somerville – Somerville has stood proudly as a “welcoming community” since 1987.

Chelsea – Chelsea has stood proudly as a sanctuary city since 2007.

Both cities have benefited from a focus on community trust and public safety. Their policies have made it safe for all residents to report crimes regardless of their immigration status. Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault can go to local police without fear that they or their innocent loved ones will be targeted due to their immigration status. Those who witness crimes are able to help local police without that same fear.

The policies in Chelsea and Somerville state that police officers generally do not ask about immigration status as part of normal police operations or participate in federal immigration enforcement activities.

To be clear, the Cities never obstruct or get in the way of any federal immigration enforcement. The Cities understand that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and leave it to the federal government to carry out those activities. This approach has allowed Chelsea and Somerville to continue building community trust and keeping all residents safe.

How much money is at stake for Somerville and Chelsea?

The Executive Orders and related directives create uncertainty, and deeply disrupt the Cities’ ability to budget for residents’ needs and implement local law enforcement priorities.

Somerville: In fiscal year 2024, Somerville received nearly $20 million in federal funds.  Those funds support critical community and public safety services including: food pantry operations to make sure the City’s neediest residents do not go hungry; emergency shelter to ensure that people are not forced to sleep outside in freezing temperatures; and roadway safety programs to keep streets safe for everyone.

Chelsea: Chelsea received approximately $14.5M in federal funding for fiscal year 2024.  This includes funds for educating schoolchildren, for infrastructure improvement projects in the downtown area, and for law enforcement purposes.

What are fast facts about Somerville and Chelsea?

Somerville – The City of Somerville, Massachusetts is located directly south of the Mystic River and is nestled among the Cities and Towns of Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Medford, and Everett. Somerville was first settled as part of Boston’s Charlestown in 1630. On January 1, 1776, George Washington raised the nation’s first flag on Somerville’s Prospect Hill. Somerville later separated from Charlestown and became its own town in 1842 and incorporated as a city in 1872.

Somerville is a three-time recipient of the All-America City Award, in 1972, 2009, and 2015. Home to approximately 80,000 residents, Somerville has a diverse population: roughly 30% of its population are residents of color (including Black, Latino, and Asian).  Approximately 25% of Somerville’s residents are foreign-born. Over half of the schoolchildren in Somerville Public Schools have a first language other than English. Many of Somerville’s main street businesses that serve the community and support the local economy are immigrant-owned.

Chelsea – The City of Chelsea, Massachusetts is located directly north of the Mystic River across from the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.  Chelsea was first settled in 1624, established as a town in 1739, and incorporated as a city in 1857.

A three-time All-America City Award winner, Chelsea is a city of champions, a city of hope. It's a diverse, working-class community with approximately 38,000 residents. Its city leaders, residents, nonprofits, and businesses have been nationally recognized for their ability to work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges. Approximately 65% of Chelsea’s residents identify as Latino, and nearly three-quarters of the city’s population is diverse (Black, Latino, Asian). Approximately 45% of Chelsea’s residents are foreign-born.

What are the main legal claims in the lawsuit?

Separation of Powers: The Constitution establishes that Congress, not the President or any Executive Branch agency, has the constitutional authority to impose conditions to receive federal funds. The Executive Orders and related directives violate Separation of Powers by adding conditions to federal funding that Congress did not impose: namely that cities assist with federal immigration enforcement.

Spending Clause: Even if the Executive Orders and related directives were authorized by Congress, they would violate the Spending Clause of the Constitution because the conditions are not identified unambiguously; are unconstitutionally coercive; are not related to the federal interest in the program; and induce the recipients to take unconstitutional actions.

Tenth Amendment: The Constitution does not allow the federal government to compel state or local governments to enact or enforce federal regulatory programs (otherwise known as the “anti-commandeering” doctrine).

Fifth Amendment - Due Process: The Executive Orders and related directives threaten to remove federal funding without any opportunity to review or challenge.

Fifth Amendment - Vagueness: The Executive Orders and related directives are unconstitutionally vague in that they fail to provide notice to localities of the bounds of what they prohibit and thus create a real risk of arbitrary enforcement. 

Administrative Procedure Act (APA): Under the APA, actions of an agency that are arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, or not in accordance with the law must be found unlawful by a court. For all of the above reasons, among others, the agency directives violate the APA.

What is the lawsuit asking a court to do?

The lawsuit asks a court to declare that the Executive Orders and related directives are unlawful and unconstitutional and to stop their implementation. The lawsuit also asks a court to declare that the Cities do not seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of federal law enforcement operations by adopting and adhering to their sanctuary city/welcoming community policies.

Where can I find the Executive Orders and directives the lawsuit challenges?

• Executive Order 14159
• Subsidization Executive Order
• Bondi (DOJ) Memo
• DOT Memo

Statement Texts

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, City of Somerville

Welcome. Thank you everyone for being here.

Somerville and Chelsea may be smaller cities, but the lawsuit we filed today is no small matter. It addresses something much larger than just our two communities. Constitutionally protected state, local, and individual rights are under assault under the banner of attacks on Sanctuary cities. The complaint we filed today is in defense of our two cities and of all other sanctuary cities -- but make no mistake -- its success is vital to us all. 
First, let’s clear up what sanctuary city policies mean in Somerville, which is a Welcoming Community. We follow all state and federal laws. We protect public safety. We fight crime. We work to protect victims and enforce the law equally for all persons regardless of immigration status. And we do cooperate with federal agencies, including immigration, on criminal cases.  

But as a Welcoming Community, we keep our officers focused on the job they are trained and hired to do, which is local public safety. That means, they neither carry out, nor do they interfere with federal immigration enforcement.  

Being a Welcoming Community upholds every person’s 14th amendment right to due process when under the jurisdiction of U.S. law. Being a Welcoming Community supports trust in law enforcement. Trust is vital. It drives down crime. It makes victims and witnesses feel safer coming forward. Being a Welcoming Community builds safety for all. 
 
But our new federal Administration wants to strip us of our constitutional right to direct our own local police resources as best serves our community. All the way from Washington, they want to order our local police to take time away from preventing crimes like home burglaries or assaults and instead carry out mass deportations. They want to tell our traffic cops to shift time away from making sure kids get safely to school and workers to their jobs, and to instead carry out family separation. They want our brave police officers to reduce resources for protecting victims of domestic violence or for stopping drunk drivers, and instead to raid our schools, workplaces, hospitals, and churches.  

But unless we abandon our lawful policies, unless we take on the federal job of immigration enforcement, unless we accept this unfunded mandate, unless we storm the local sandwich shop, they say they’ll take away our federal funds – funds that we pay taxes for – no matter who it hurts in our community.  

They seem to be OK if yanking funding hurts police who need bullet proof vests or small businesses that need our water system to function. They seem to think it’s OK if overriding our right to make local decisions violates state and local rights under the 10th amendment. They seem to think it’s Ok to threaten us with prosecution under made-up rules unless we ignore due process, cede our local rights, and instead use our limited local resources for federal functions. 

This attempt to bully sanctuary cities into mass deportation isn’t just a lazy approach that avoids the real work of needed immigration reform. It’s also a terrible idea. It makes our communities less safe, damages our economy, drives up prices, and as our complaint argues, blatantly violates the U.S. Constitution. This lawsuit is just two smaller cities doing our part to fight in court against this giant – and frankly embarrassing – abuse of power.

Again, this has consequences for us all. In Somerville, our residents know that communities are safer when police focus on preventing crime and leave federal immigration enforcement to the Feds. We know that stripping localities of their right to lawful local policies and ignoring due process, erodes everyone’s rights. And we know that weaponizing federal funding threatens the health and safety of all residents be it your neighbor who relies on Meals on Wheels for dinner or a Veteran who needs help accessing job resources.  

In Somerville, we believe in safe, welcoming communities; policies that serve all our people – and in safeguarding our rights.  

We urge the Administration to honor our Constitution and let us serve our communities as we know is best. This isn’t something you should have to fight for in court—but it’s what Somerville and Chelsea are stepping up to do and I have every confidence that we will prevail.

Thank you.

Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez

Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here.

Today, we stand together—Chelsea, Somerville, and our partners at Lawyers for Civil Rights—to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our immigrant communities and to challenge unjust federal overreach. Chelsea is a city of immigrants. Our strength, resilience, and progress have always been driven by the hardworking families who call this community home, regardless of their immigration status.

The Trump administration’s effort to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities are unlawful and attack the very values that make our nation strong. These punitive actions seek to instill fear in our communities and undermine local governments that are doing the work of serving and protecting all residents. But let me be clear: Chelsea will not be intimidated.

We will continue to provide services, resources, and support to every member of our community—without exception. We will continue to follow the clear law confirming states and cities cannot be intimidated into enforcing immigration laws, and we will not allow federal policies to dictate how we care for people that call Chelsea home. Chelsea is, and will always be, a place where every resident has the right to live with dignity and without fear.

We thank Lawyers for Civil Rights for their leadership in this legal fight and our fellow leaders in Somerville for standing with us. Together, we will ensure that justice prevails and that our cities remain places of opportunity and hope for all.

Thank you.

Judy Pineda Neufeld, Somerville City Council President

My name is Judy Pineda Neufeld and I am standing here before you today as the proud daughter of two immigrant parents – parents who taught me the importance of hard work and always standing up for what is right and what is just.

I am also standing here today as the President of the Somerville City Council, a community that has for nearly four decades been unwavering in our commitment to protecting and standing with our immigrant neighbors.

Somerville first declared itself a Sanctuary City in 1987. We reaffirmed that commitment in 2016, in 2019, and again just last year in 2024, when my colleagues and I passed a resolution making it clear that we will not waver in upholding our values of inclusion, equity, and justice.

Our message today is simple: Somerville is a welcoming city. We will not be intimidated or coerced into policies that betray the safety, dignity, and trust of our residents. And we will fight—both in our city and in the courts—to defend our right to govern in a way that reflects our community’s values.

This lawsuit is not just about Somerville or Chelsea. It is about the fundamental rights of cities and towns across the country to decide how best to keep their residents safe. It is about rejecting the false choice between federal funding and standing up for what is right.

We know from experience that when immigrants feel safe, our entire community is safer. We have seen firsthand that public safety is best served when trust between law enforcement and the community is strong.

So today, Somerville stands with Chelsea and with every sanctuary city across the country to say:

We will not be silenced.

We will not be forced into complicity with unjust and unconstitutional federal overreach.

And we WILL keep fighting to ensure that every person in our community — no matter where they were born — has the right to live with dignity, has the right to live without fear, and has the right to live with the full protections of our city behind them.

Thank you.

Norieliz DeJesus, Chelsea City Council President

Good afternoon, everyone.

As President of the Chelsea City Council, I am proud to stand here today with our partners from Somerville and Lawyers for Civil Rights to send a clear and united message: Chelsea will always stand with our immigrant communities.

For generations, immigrants have been the heart and soul of our city. They have built businesses, raised families, and strengthened our neighborhoods. The Trump administration’s attempt to strip funding from sanctuary cities is a direct attack on the values that define us—fairness, inclusion, and compassion. This is not just about policy; it is about people. It is about families who deserve to live without fear, workers who contribute to our economy, and children who should feel safe in the place they call home.

Chelsea will not be bullied into turning its back on our residents. We will continue to provide essential services, advocate for our communities, and fight against any efforts to divide or marginalize us. Our city is strong because of our diversity, not in spite of it, and we will never compromise on that truth.

I want to thank our legal partners at Lawyers for Civil Rights and our colleagues in Somerville for standing with us in this fight. Together, we will ensure that Chelsea remains a welcoming city where everyone, no matter their background, has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you.

Recording of Media Availability

Video: July 17, 2025 Somerville-Chelsea Joint Federal Lawsuit Update

Video: Feb. 24, 2025 Somerville-Chelsea Joint Federal Lawsuit 

Sanctuary Info for Cities

• Chelsea: 2007 Sanctuary City Resolution
• Somerville: Sanctuary City Since 1987

To learn about Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), visit lawyersforcivilrights.org.

Speaker Bios/Organization Info

Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, now in her second term, brings 30 years of leadership experience across government, non-profits, start-ups, and international business to her commitment to progress for all. A former eight-year City Councilor and two-term Council President, her diverse background uniquely positions her to align stakeholder interests and solve complex problems. As an immigrant, parent, and long-time community advocate, she values inclusive leadership. From leading Girls' LEAP Boston to serving on the Somerville Community Corporation board, Ballantyne has consistently focused on creating opportunities for all. Her priorities include affordable housing, job growth and training, diversity and social justice, education, responsible development, environmental sustainability, safe transit, and open government. A champion of climate action, she authored Somerville's 2019 Green New Deal Resolution and co-authored the 2020 Green New Deal for Massachusetts Now Resolution. A first-generation college graduate, she holds an MBA from Suffolk University and a bachelor's degree from St. Michael's College.

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) works with communities of color and immigrants to fight discrimination and foster equity through creative and courageous legal advocacy, education, and economic empowerment. LCR focuses on impact areas that represent the front lines in today’s battle for equality and justice. This includes steadfast advocacy fighting for immigrant rights and humanitarian protections. Their groundbreaking work on immigration has set new legal and community precedent, with LCR frequently filing the first cases nationwide challenging federal immigration policies. During the first Trump Administration, this included the first lawsuits in the country to protect sanctuary cities, preserve humanitarian protection programs, block immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, and hold the federal government accountable for the impacts of separating families at the border. Most recently, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled in favor of a birthright citizenship lawsuit brought by Lawyers for Civil Rights challenging the constitutionality of the Trump Administration’s Executive Order (EO) that would strip birthright U.S. citizenship from the children of immigrant parents.

Fidel Maltez is the City Manager of the City of Chelsea, starting in the role on January 1, 2024. Fidel served as Town Manager of Reading, MA, for 2 years prior to returning to Chelsea as City Manager.Prior to his work as Town Manager of Reading, Fidel held the position of Commissioner of Public Works for the City of Chelsea for five years overseeing all municipal construction as well as all related areas of public works in Chelsea. Fidel spent 13 years with the Cintas Corporation, beginning immediately after college as a Management Trainee. Fidel completed the construction of three manufacturing plants in Portland, ME, York, PA and Philadelphia, PA. Fidel spent 3 years in China with Cintas as the Country Engineer, building manufacturing plants in Suzhou and Tianjin. This experience was invaluable in teaching Fidel how to navigate multicultural settings, and learning how to adapt to new environments. Fidel was instrumental in launching the Cintas Scrub Vending machine program nationally. Fidel holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from Lafayette College and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Tufts University. To learn more about Fidel, click here.

Judy Pineda Neufeld is the President of the Somerville City Council, first elected in 2021 as one of the first two Latinas to serve on the Council. She brings her lived and professional experience to advance equity and justice for the Somerville community. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Judy moved to Somerville in 2001 to attend Tufts University, where she fell in love with the city and has lived in neighborhoods across Somerville ever since. She holds an MBA with honors from Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business and has built a career focused on leadership development, community organizing, and advancing inclusion and justice. Prior to her election, Judy led Somerville’s Immigrant Services Unit during the city’s Covid-19 response, ensuring that immigrant families had access to critical resources. She has also worked nationally to recruit and train thousands of women and people of color to run for office, led equity-focused initiatives for local and statewide organizations, and runs her own consulting business, providing strategy and leadership development services to nonprofit organizations. 

Norieliz DeJesus, the President of the Chelsea City Council, was first elected to the Chelsea City Council in 2021 and has served as City Council President since 2024. She has dedicated 13 years of her life to community engagement, organizing and advocacy. Through her legislative work she has fought injustice and inequality from their roots and addressed community needs through changes to policy and legislation. Norieliz brings grassroots to the table, having started her career as a youth organizer in 2008 and working her way up to her position today as the Director of Policy and Organizing at La Colaborativa.