Councilwoman Fox urges advocacy for detained neighbor and frames homelessness as complex issue
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Summary
Councilwoman Fox called for public support to secure the release of Eva Helena Mendez from ICE custody and used the opportunity to urge deeper inquiry into why some people decline shelter services, listing safety, family separation and pet policies as barriers.
Councilwoman Fox used her Jan. 12 appearance before the Woonsocket City Council to ask the community to advocate for a local resident, Eva Helena Mendez, who was detained by federal immigration authorities after returning from a trip to Cape Verde.
"We have to keep saying her name," Fox said, urging neighbors to contact the federal delegation. She said Mendez is a lawful permanent resident who was detained at Logan Airport, that a hearing on Jan. 5 denied release and that friends and family do not know her current location. Fox credited outreach by "Senator Reid's office" and asked residents to keep pushing the delegation.
Fox then broadened her remarks to homelessness policy, saying the city has built shelter and service capacity but must better understand why some people decline shelter — citing safety concerns, prior negative shelter experiences, fear of family separation and the inability to bring pets — so the city can design solutions that increase trust and uptake. She urged further inquiry rather than accepting 'lifestyle choice' as an explanation.
