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Council refers proposal for citywide 'Know Your Rights' mailing to Equity Committee
Summary
Councilor Burnley presented sample Know Your Rights mailers and urged a citywide, multilingual mailing to equip immigrant residents with information about constitutional rights; the council approved referral to the Equity Committee and asked departments to plan content and funding.
Councilor Burnley asked the council to consider funding and content for a citywide immigrant defense 'Know Your Rights' mailing similar to a Providence initiative. She described sample bilingual mailers and suggested working with the Office of Immigrant Affairs, legal counsel, and communications staff to produce materials in Somerville’s most prominent languages and to plan a FY‑26 allocation.
"I think the best way to do that would be through a citywide mailing to every household, as was done in Providence," Burnley said, noting the documents can include cut‑out inserts and language translations. Councilors agreed to refer both the order and related resolution to the Equity Committee for further drafting and to seek input from the Office of Immigrant Affairs and legal advisors on appropriate content and distribution.
