Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and leaders of Greater Boston organizations fighting federal immigration crackdowns are calling on Brookline for collective action and solidarity.
They spoke Wednesday night at an event organized by Brookline for Racial Justice and Equity at United Parish. The event, “Brookline United For Immigrant Justice,” drew around 150 people and raised $7,555 for four frontline organizations — La Colaborativa, Fuerza, Lawyers for Civil Rights and LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA.
“Support for immigrants has been something that has long been part of the culture in Brookline,” said BRJE Executive Director Raul Fernandez. “[This] was an opportunity for Brookline residents who do care about these issues to come together and support those kinds of frontline organizations.”
Campbell headlined the event in a keynote conversation led by Kimberley Richardson, chair of BRJE’s board of directors. Fernandez called Campbell a “champion” in the immigration space for tackling federal immigration enforcement through a legal lens.
“It’s really important to have someone like her grounding this effort, because it’s not just about what people feel,” Fernandez said. “It’s also about what the law really says.”
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has filed more than 30 lawsuits against the Trump administration, Campbell said. Its latest victory came Wednesday in a case that challenged the administration for withholding billions in emergency service funding to “strong-arm” states into compliance.
Campbell said the Attorney General’s Office has worked with community organizations to develop a rapid response system and mobilize resources to support the immigrant community.
“The federal laws are stacked against us when it comes to immigration and immigration enforcement,” Campbell said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to fight like hell to protect our people [and] protect our immigrants.”
Campbell answered questions on state efforts to preserve public education funding, promote equitable access to affordable housing, and defend diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in schools and universities.
Following the keynote conversation was a panel consisting of leaders of organizations fighting immigration enforcement in Greater Boston and Massachusetts.
Fernandez said it was important to highlight frontline organizations to show Brookline residents how they can get involved and support their efforts.
“I always talk about Brookline as a community among communities,” he said. “Who our neighbors are doesn’t stop at the border of Brookline.”
Gladys Vega, president and CEO of La Colaborativa , a Greater Boston organization that supports Latino immigrants, said people need to see immigrants as human beings and not illegal criminals. She referenced the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision that cleared the way for racial profiling in immigration raids.
“We need to do more in our communities, especially communities of color, where now people have a license to racial profile, and they have a right to make you feel that you don’t belong,” Vega said.
Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights , said as angry as people may feel, there are also “lessons to be learned” from past opportunities to prevent federal encroachment that were “wasted.”
“When I look back, [I think] we have wasted entire presidential administrations, completely wasted, failed to leverage what can be leveraged, failed to mobilize with efficiency and purpose around issues that we care about,” he said. “And now we see what the federal government can actually do. It’s scary.”
Fuerza , a neighborhood watch in Waltham that is part of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA , coordinates with LUCE to receive rapid verification of ICE activity in Waltham, so volunteers can respond and support families.
Fuerza’s founder, Jonathan Paz, told Brookline.News the most important element of his group’s work is being there for community members in “their moment of most need.”
“Part of what we’re doing is shifting the tone, shifting the energy, so people are becoming more proactive, rather than just reactive, in a time where we’re constantly under attack,” he said.
During the panel, Paz said Campbell and the Attorney General’s Office need to do more to prevent courthouses from being “ICE traps,” where ICE agents detain immigrants before they can through the legal process.
“We have a highly competent attorney general who needs to display some political courage here and prevent the further entrapments that are happening in our courts,” Paz told Brookline.News. “ICE is creating an environment where people have to self-criminalize to exist here. This is untenable.”
After the conversation, Campbell told Brookline.News she appreciates the frontline organizations for helping her office with its federal accountability work by providing on-the-ground accounts.
“If we file a lawsuit, for example, it’s based on what we’re hearing and seeing happening on the ground,” she said. “These organizations are giving us those stories.”
Campbell said she loves Brookline because it is both a community and municipality that looks out for its people and sees the humanity in them, regardless of their immigration status. She reiterated her support for her constituents in uncertain times.
“This attorney general has their back,” Campbell told Brookline.News. “We’ll fight with a sense of urgency, no fear and deep compassion and empathy for the people in Massachusetts, to protect them and also protect our economy.”
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
This article was originally published on September 27, 2025.