Issue 06 of 13
Immigration
Reject the demonization of immigrants.
Our city and state wouldn’t be the same without our vibrant immigrant communities. We must reject the demonization of immigrants and ensure that everyone, regardless of their immigration status, can live their life without fearing for their physical safety or financial stability. In response to the Trump administration’s lawless, violent deployment of ICE—as well as its cruel move to deny refugees and asylum seekers, the most vulnerable immigrants of all, access to basic food assistance—it is imperative that we use every tool at our disposal to protect our immigrant neighbors.
As your State Representative, I will fight to:
Block all local and state law enforcement from collaborating with ICE unless explicitly required by federal law or a judicial warrant.
Under the watch of Mayor Smiley, whom Rep. Ajello was one of only two State Representatives to endorse, the Providence Police were caught illegally collaborating with ICE. In response, the City Council updated city law to clarify that the police are not allowed to provide any assistance to federal immigration enforcement—and the public schools and municipal court are not allowed to grant them entry—without a warrant from a federal judge.
- I will fight to extend these protections to apply to every community in Rhode Island, as well as the state police and courts.
Require all courts to offer virtual hearings whenever practical to protect people at risk of detention and deportation.
ICE has been spotted lurking outside courthouses throughout our state, waiting to seize anyone they profile as “suspicious” or “dangerous.” In November, ICE wrongfully detained a high school student who was working as an intern at the state courthouse on South Main Street; even more recently, armed ICE agents forced their way past security in an attempt to illegally detain a person at the Garrahy Judicial Complex downtown. Our judicial process should operate without fear of breaches by a rogue, armed federal agency.
Create a state food assistance program for immigrants who lost SNAP because of the Trump administration.
As part of the Trump “Big, Beautiful Bill”, the SNAP eligibility criteria for non-citizens narrowed significantly. This means that roughly 2,300 Rhode Islanders who are refugees or asylum seekers have already lost or are set to lose access to the assistance that allows them to feed their families if we don’t create a replacement state assistance program. Once again, the General Assembly will be forced to choose: surrender to the cruelty of the Republican Congress, or respond to it by fighting back and protecting our core social services.
More of the platform
Help make this the platform of the next State Representative.
The Democratic primary is Wednesday, September 9. Every door knocked and every dollar raised in District 1 goes toward this fight.