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City manager briefs council on federal grant freezes and outlines local guidance on ICE interactions
Summary
City Manager provided an update on large federal grant freezes affecting Harvard, MIT and state programs and reviewed how Cambridge police will (and will not) participate in federal immigration operations, stressing transparency and coordination with the public and state authorities.
City Manager Yan Wong briefed the council on recent federal grant freezes and on local procedures for interactions between local police and federal immigration operations.
Wong told councilors that Harvard University and MIT have each frozen or lost billions in federal research grants, with Harvard described as having up to $3,000,000,000 of federal grants frozen or canceled and more than one hundred termination notices sent to researchers. He said the state has posted a dashboard of affected grants and that the Healy administration announced a hiring freeze to begin May 27.
On immigration enforcement, the city manager reviewed Cambridge's "welcoming city" ordinance and told the council that Cambridge Police Department policy is not to participate in civil immigration enforcement operations except to provide limited public‑safety support (traffic control, scene safety) when requested. "The path to challenging an arrest has to happen through the courts rather than on the street," he said, urging community members to document incidents and to use the legal process to seek redress.
Wong summarized recent national incidents in which federal immigration operations provoked public protests and court challenges. He and Police Commissioner Elo said the department will document all interactions with federal agencies and has declined detainer requests in the past. Commissioners and the city solicitor also said they plan community communications and training, including Know Your Rights resources for schools, youth program supervisors and service providers.
Councilors asked about what people can do if ICE agents appear and whether police could intervene when federal agents enter private property without a warrant. City legal staff and police said many questions are facts‑dependent, that federal agents generally have greater latitude in public spaces, and that warrants are required to enter private premises, but cars are treated differently than homes. The city said it will coordinate guidance with legal‑service partners and the Human Rights Commission and will consider additional public forums and trainings.
