The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center hosted an Immigrant and Refugee Community Forum with Boston Mayor Martin Walsh on Friday night to engage city officials and Boston residents in a discourse on immigration amid uncertainty and confusion on the topic, according to Suzan El-Rayess, the ISBCC director of development and the organizer of the forum.
“[The meeting] is important for two reasons,” El-Rayess told The Daily Free Press before the forum. “First, for the mayor and city officials to hear what their constituency is going through. On the flip side, it’s important for immigrants and refugees to know that the city does have services that support them.”
Director of the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians Alejandra St. Guillen said the mayor attended to reassure immigrant communities that Walsh and his administration are committed to aiding them.
“We think it’s critical at this point in time that our immigrant communities know that the city of Boston is with them,” St. Guillen said before the event. “We have services that are available to all residents regardless of immigration status. We don’t agree with the executive orders that have been passed and we want our communities to feel safe.”
The forum opened with a prayer for Muslim attendees, followed by speeches from El-Rayess and ISBCC Senior Imam Shaykh Yasir Fahmy.
Fahmy thanked Walsh for his unwavering support of Boston’s immigrants and refugees.
He recalled Walsh’s commitment to ensuring all airport detainees had safely arrived in Boston a few weeks ago following President Donald Trump’s executive order.
“[Walsh] was there in the airport, there waiting that the last person walked out, and he texts me as soon as he did,” Fahmy said. “That’s a beautiful American spirit.”
Boston residents shared their stories of how Trump’s policies have impacted their lives.
Nour Tabidi, an American whose husband is Sudanese, talked about her family’s Sudanese roots and the trouble they’ve experienced under the Trump administration. Tabidi recalled her distress as her husband was temporarily blocked from boarding a plane to the United States at a Sudanese airport.
“I would either be separated from my dad and siblings in the U.S. or separated from my husband in Sudan,” she said.
Another speaker, Rahmatullah Aka, an Afghani who now works in New England as a case manager for refugees, thanked the mayor for his support on behalf of the refugees he works with.
“The mayor’s office has shown a tremendous support for the refugees in this state,” he said.
In his speech, Walsh talked about the major role immigration plays in Boston. Nearly 75 percent of Bostonians are immigrants or first-generation, and immigrants run the bulk of Boston’s small businesses, he said.
Walsh said no matter what actions Trump takes on immigration, Boston will stick to its values.
“I am going to continue to protect all the people … from all these unfair discriminatory actions,” he said. “We’re going to continue to work with our office of immigrant advancement to have our doors open, and we’re going to continue to support the United States Constitution.”
Following the speakers, local residents lined up to ask Walsh individual questions. Walsh directed many of them toward resources in Boston dedicated to assisting immigrants and refugees, many of which had representatives in attendance. Resources included free legal advice and “Know Your Rights” training sessions.
Many people said open forums were valuable. They expressed their gratitude toward Walsh and his team.
Essam Nasser, 31, of Wakefield, said he came to event to learn more about the mayor’s stance on immigration and was pleased with what he heard.
“[Walsh] has a clear stand. He has stated he supports immigration,” Nasser said. “He does not care about Trump’s threats or anything like that.”
Christina Rogers, 27, of Roslindale, said as an occupational therapy student, she came to the event to learn more about how she can help people she works with.
“I work with immigrants and have seen some of the difficulties that they’ve been facing with just trying to get by here,” Rogers said. “I’m looking for some ways to help them and be a better advocate for them.
Faustino Mora, 29, of Roslindale, said he appreciates Walsh’s willingness to go into the Muslim community and speak directly to his constituents. He said despite Walsh’s limited influence, he is still providing many with critical help.
“I also think he’s limited in his capacity just because he’s the mayor of a city, and unfortunately, immigration policy is a federal issue,” Mora said. “There’s not that much he can do, but he’s done a pretty good job of providing services to the constituents.”
