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Natick Select Board Chair’s car vandalized amid heated immigration policy debate
Select Board Chair Kathryn Coughlin’s car was vandalized last week with a spray-painted message: “Deport Illegals."
As the Town of Natick considers a proposed policy clarifying the town’s immigration documentation policy, someone allegedly turned to vandalism amid the heated debate.
Select Board Chair Kathryn Coughlin’s car was vandalized last week with a spray-painted message: “Deport illegals,” the MetroWest Daily News reported. Coughlin confirmed the vehicle was hers but declined to comment further to Boston.com
Deputy Chief of Police Brian Lauzon confirmed that the incident was reported and said “we are actively conducting an investigation.”
The vandalism came before a Wednesday Select Board meeting, where members will discuss a proposed policy regarding immigration presented Nov. 20.
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The proposed policy clarifies the town’s role regarding federal immigration enforcement. Since its first draft last month, the proposal has drawn widespread condemnation and support.
Policy would not ‘create a sanctuary town,’ but what would it do?
According to a memo published by the town, a “group of engaged residents” began a discussion with town officials in 2022 about addressing immigration concerns, including the use of Natick’s “finite resources” and how to shield the town from liabilities regarding federal immigration enforcement.
“The Select Board is not taking a particular stance on federal immigration policy or regulations – past, present or in the future,” the memo said.
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The proposed policy would bar town employees from inquiring about or collecting “any information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual unless Federal laws or the laws of” the state require it.
The policy also proposes that “no employee of the Town shall detain a person based solely on the belief that the person is not present legally in the United States or that the person has committed an immigration violation.”
The Town and its employees would also not function as an immigration officer and would not “directly assist” in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws, the proposed policy reads. Acting on issued warrants, subpoenas, and detainers are exempt from the policy.
Coughlin declined to comment on the vandalism, saying the Select Board is poised to vote on the measure next week on Dec. 18.
A fact sheet circulated by Natick reiterates that the proposal would allow immigrants, documented or not, to participate in police investigations as victims or witnesses without fear and formalizes the practice that “no Town department has the legal authority to enforce immigration laws, nor ask for immigration papers/status, unless required by state or federal law.”
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The policy does not offer shelter or assistance to immigrants or create a sanctuary town, the fact sheet said.
MassGOP warns against proposal
The proposal comes as both the City of Boston and Massachusetts state leaders say they will not cooperate with mass deportations expected when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu has stressed that city law prevents local resources and personnel, including police, from working with federal agents.
In Natick, the Massachusetts Republican Party warned in a statement that the policy would push undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds to the Boston suburb. Leanne Harris, MassGOP Committeewoman for the Middlesex and Norfolk District, said “Natick deserves better.”
“This proposal puts Natick on a troubling path that prioritizes political posturing over the safety of residents,” Harris’s statement said. “By preventing law enforcement from fully cooperating with federal immigration authorities, the town risks becoming a magnet for criminal activity. We’ve already seen tragic examples across the state where sanctuary policies have failed to protect communities.”
Another committeeperson said the proposal could overwhelm local resources.
“Even Democratic strongholds like New York City are struggling with the migrant crisis and reevaluating their stance on sanctuary policies,” Nicky Meceli said. “Natick is simply not equipped for this.”
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