The Development and Governmental Relationships Committee of Holyoke City voted to give leave to withdraw a contentious resolution that would have restated the city's position as "not a sanctuary city" and asked federal authorities to remove any such designation.

Committee members voted 3–2 on Oct. 6 to allow the item to be withdrawn from the committee calendar and sent as a recommendation to the full City Council that the authors may withdraw it. The vote followed more than two hours of committee discussion and about 30 public comments, many of them urging the council to reject the draft resolution.

The measure was introduced in June by Councilor Jordan Bacon and Councilor Linda Jourdain after the Department of Homeland Security briefly listed Holyoke among jurisdictions described in media reports as sanctuary jurisdictions. The resolution would have restated that "Holyoke is not a sanctuary city," cited Holyoke ordinance 2-68 and asked federal authorities to notify the city of any specific alleged violations and remove Holyoke from any federal list.

Chief Brian Keenan of the Holyoke Police Department read a departmental general order and a related FAQ during the meeting. "Holyoke police will not transport in marked or unmarked police vehicles any arrestees of ICE for civil immigration violations," Keenan said. He also told the committee that local officers do not have authority to arrest or detain people solely on civil immigration violations and will not do so.

Supporters of the resolution, including Councilor Jourdain and Councilor Bacon, said the intent was to clarify the city's legal posture and protect federal grant funding. "We are making a statement that we are not a sanctuary city," Jourdain said, adding that the resolution was meant to reaffirm an ordinance passed in 2017 and to put the burden on federal agencies to demonstrate any violation.

Opponents — including Councilor Israel (Izzy) Rivera, Councilor Murphy Ramboletti and several public speakers — said the resolution stirred fear in immigrant communities, risked inviting federal scrutiny and would not change how local police operate. "Something like this kind of puts a wedge in this trust," Councilor Rivera said, urging the council not to politicize public safety or divert police resources.

A long public-comment period followed the committee's decision to suspend the rules to allow public testimony. Speakers included State Representative Patrick (Pat) Duffy, Mayor Joshua Garcia and many Holyoke residents. Testimony cited national enforcement actions, the historical experience of immigrant communities and the possible chilling effect on residents' willingness to report crimes or seek city services.

Mayor Joshua Garcia suggested a different path: continue the conversation, and consider a coordinated letter or statement aligned with the mayor's January executive order on civil immigration detainers rather than the current resolution language. Representative Duffy noted state law and a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision limiting local authority to hold people on federal civil immigration detainers and cautioned that "sanctuary city" is not a legal term with a uniform definition.

After the public comment and further council discussion, committee members voted 3–2 to grant leave to withdraw the resolution and forward the withdrawal as the committee's recommendation to the full City Council. The roll call on the leave-to-withdraw motion recorded: Councilor Devine — yes; Councilor Sullivan — no; Councilor Ocasio — no; Councilor Anderson Burgos — yes; Councilor Givner (chair) — yes.

The committee chair said the full City Council will take up the matter at its next meeting and that all materials presented at the committee hearing, including the police general order and the FAQ read into the record, are available on the city's website.

The committee differentiated formal action from discussion: no new local enforcement authority for immigration was created by the resolution, and Chief Keenan reiterated departmental limits on civil immigration enforcement. The withdrawal means the specific draft resolution discussed on Oct. 6 will not move forward in its current form from this committee; the authors may file a revised measure or other communications to federal or state officials.

At the committee's close, members and city officials called for continued civil discourse and for steps that would reduce confusion and fear in affected communities.