Chelsea council schedules subcommittee on ICE presence after petition from immigrant-rights group

The Chelsea City Council voted to send a petition from the Lucey Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts to a subcommittee for further review and follow‑up related to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) presence in the city.

Councilor Jimenez said the order was a resubmission from the prior term and urged scheduling the meeting quickly, citing increased community concern. Councilor Taylor said he wanted to invite an ICE representative to appear alongside petitioners so the subcommittee would have full information before deciding next steps.

During a moments section later in the meeting Councilor De Jesus described recent federal immigration actions as "disgusting, irresponsible, and just plain inhumane," a characterization that was recorded in the council minutes. The motion to create the subcommittee and schedule the meeting moved forward with the council sending the matter to the subcommittee/conference for neighborhood-level review.

The record shows the item was scheduled for subcommittee action; the council did not adopt other directives at this meeting and indicated it will request testimony and documentation as part of the subcommittee’s work.