Opinion: City urgently needs a Safe Zone Resolution

As a woman who lived under the Chilean dictatorship for 17 years — a regime tolerated and, in some cases, actively supported by the United States — I know firsthand the deep fear that a government can instill in its own people. I remember the curfews, the arbitrary detentions, and the silence imposed as the only option for survival. That memory lives with me today in New Bedford, where I see echoes of the same fear in our immigrant community.

Parents afraid to take their children to the doctor. Families who perhaps do not even dare to go out to buy groceries, always wondering if an unexpected knock at the door, a casual question, or a school routine could trigger a tragedy. This is not an abstraction; it is a daily, deep, and painful reality. And we cannot allow it to continue.

That is why the urgent call by New Bedford Public Schools to approve a Safe Zone Resolution is more than fair — it is necessary. This resolution proposes to declare schools, hospitals, and community centers as spaces free from ICE intervention, create crisis response teams, and offer trauma-informed and culturally grounded training. Most importantly, it reaffirms an essential message: to all our immigrant community, especially children, we must say loudly that they belong here and that they are safe.

This immigrant community is not distant or marginal. They are essential workers who hold this city together in often invisible jobs. They pay taxes, care for our children and elders, clean our hospitals, work in factories, fishing, and construction. They are also a living part of New Bedford’s culture and art. For the most part, they are people who support the common good, who want stability, who want to contribute, and who want to grow with dignity. They deserve to live without fear.

Many people may not realize that Massachusetts already has legal tools to protect these rights. The 2020 Police Reform Act limits police cooperation with ICE, requiring a warrant for any action. The Safe Communities Act mandates informing individuals if ICE seeks to interview them and protects their right to refuse. And the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has issued clear and binding guidance to ensure that schools protect all students from discrimination and harassment, regardless of immigration status.

These regulations are not just empty words. They are legal mandates that the mayor and his administration can — and must — use to protect our community. Denying or avoiding this responsibility would be turning a blind eye to the suffering and fear of thousands of families in New Bedford.

This is not just a call to legal or administrative action. It is an invitation to recognize the human impact of every decision. Every protocol set, every space protected, every public word spoken or omitted has real consequences for the mental health, emotional safety, and dignity of thousands of people. Authorities do not decide in the abstract — they decide over the daily lives of neighbors who are living in fear. The decisions made today will also shape how this administration is remembered: as one that acted, or one that remained silent.

Now more than ever, we need leadership that faces this reality with commitment and courage. Officially declaring safe zones, limiting ICE collaboration, creating crisis support teams, and training educators and staff to understand and respond to our families’ needs are actions that cannot wait.

History will judge us for what we do now. New Bedford has the opportunity to show it is a city of respect, inclusion, and human rights. The community is ready to build bridges and work together, but we need our leaders to take that first step.

As someone who has lived through state terror, I say: let’s not allow fear to continue dominating our lives. Let’s build safe schools and cities for all — together.

Paulina Fuenzalida-Guzmán is a textile artist, journalist, and cultural organizer. She lives in New Bedford, where she works with immigrant communities developing public art, memory, and social justice projects. 

Editor’s note: Fuenzalida-Guzmán is the wife of Gerardo Beltran Salinas, a videographer who works for The Light.