Newton's Public Safety & Transportation Committee will return to the question of how the city should respond if federal immigration agents show up in Newton when it meets Wednesday, July 29, at 7 p.m. in City Hall's Council Chamber.
The meeting marks the committee's third session on the topic since March. The agenda calls for reviewing who will respond and how Newton will act should ICE enter the city, ensuring procedures protect against "door-to-door actions, harassment, or the unlawful detention of residents and workers," and reaffirming the city's 2017 Welcoming City Ordinance, according to the posted agenda.
Public comment will not be accepted on the ICE item, according to the posted meeting notice from committee Chair Tarik Lucas.
Background
The committee, which includes Police Chief Timothy Cohoon and City Solicitor Alissa Ocasio Giuliani among its regular participants, first took up ICE response in March 2026 and held a public forum in April 2026 where residents urged stronger protections.
Mayor Marc Laredo signed an executive order on February 5 limiting city cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. "If there's a surge in activity, like you've seen in Minnesota or Maine, that's what we're really trying to make sure we set up appropriate procedures for," Laredo said at the signing.
The Welcoming City Ordinance, enacted in 2017, limits local police and city employees from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Chief Cohoon said at the March 19 committee meeting that Newton police do not ask about immigration status in any interaction with residents.
What specific written procedures the city has developed since those earlier meetings is not clear from available agenda materials.
Traffic Council: Thursday, July 30
Newton's Traffic Council meets Thursday, July 30, at 7 p.m. in City Hall, Room 211, with a slate of neighborhood traffic and parking changes on its agenda.
The headline item: a proposal to designate Jasset Street between Faxon Street and California Street as a Safety Zone with a posted 20 mph speed limit.
The council will also consider:
- Stop signs at both intersections where Larchmont Avenue meets Chestnut Street, westbound only. The proposal would not add stop signs on Chestnut Street itself.
- Parking prohibition on the south side of Charlesbank Road west of St. James Street, to eliminate vehicles parked too close to the intersection.
- Accessible parking at 60 Lincoln Road, already approved by the Newton Commission on Disability on April 13.
- Bus parking on Beacon Street near Boston College, changing from general live parking to bus-only parking between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. to accommodate Campus School drop-offs.
- Resident permit exception on Brae Burn Road, modifying the current 9-to-10 a.m. parking ban to allow residents with permits.
- Removal of up to four parking spaces on Florence Street for Sunrise Senior Living, per Council Order #356-22 (originally approved in 2022).
How to attend
Both meetings are hybrid. The PS&T Committee Zoom link is newtonma-gov.zoom.us/j/85723499939. The Traffic Council Zoom link is newtonma-gov.zoom.us/j/88110314619.
The Traffic Council meeting is open to public comment on its agenda items.
