[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Williamstown as indicated in section histories.]
[Added 5-22-2025 ATM, Art. 29]
In conjunction with previously adopted articles, Article 36 (Town Meeting 2020) “Not in Our County Pledge” in which the Town of Williamstown commits to providing equality, access, and opportunity for all its residents, and believes in the vital importance of a diverse community particularly concerning the effort to assure the safety of black-identifying people of color; and Article 40 (Town Meeting 2017) “Resolution on Immigrant Issues” in which the Town of Williamstown supports and upholds the rights of our immigrant population,
Be it resolved by the Town of Williamstown, as follows:
WHEREAS, the transgender, nonbinary, and LGBTQIA+ community in Berkshire County and nationally are being targeted by federal executive branch actions in 2025 stating that the U.S. government will now recognize only two sexes - male and female, and the federal government is seeking to end gender-affirming care and ending federal legal recognition of trans people;
WHEREAS, transgender immigrants, refugees, and asylees face additional persecution due to their immigration status;
WHEREAS, studies by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reveal trans adults and youth have disproportionately experienced homelessness and unemployment compared to the cis-gender population with trans people of color experiencing unemployment four times the national rate;
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted “An Act Expanding Protections for Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care,” as Chapter 127 of the Act of 2022, which protects individuals seeking sanctuary from out-of-state prosecution and explicitly prohibits law enforcement agencies from knowingly making or participating in the arrest or extradition of an individual pursuant to an out-of-state arrest warrant based on another state's law against receiving gender-affirming healthcare in Massachusetts;
WHEREAS, access to gender-affirming healthcare services is a right secured by the constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state bans insurance exclusions for gender-affirming healthcare, as recognized in M.G.L. c. 12 § 111 1/2; and
WHEREAS the Town of Williamstown recognizes that transgender and gender nonconforming individuals are an asset to our community.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. 
The Town of Williamstown reiterates its commitment to transgender rights and equal protections for transgender community members and declares itself a place of safety for transgender and gender-diverse people; and
B. 
The Town of Williamstown recognizes the importance of gender-affirming healthcare as a matter of health, privacy, and equity and to ensure, to the greatest extent permitted by law, that those rights are upheld for all residents and visitors within the Town of Williamstown; and
C. 
The Town of Williamstown, in accordance with Chapter 127 of the Act of 2022, shall prohibit the use of Town property or Town resources, including official acts of Town employees, officers, contractors, or subcontractors, for:
(1) 
cooperation, assistance, or provision of information to any individual or out-of-state agency or department in furtherance of restrictions on the provision of gender-affirming healthcare or gender-affirming mental healthcare sought or performed in the Town of Williamstown and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(2) 
prevention or detention of persons seeking gender-affirming healthcare or gender-affirming mental healthcare; or
(3) 
cooperation with Federal or State agencies in contravention of Chapter 127 of the Act of 2022, or the implementation of policies aiming to harm transgender and gender-diverse people or limit access to healthcare, housing, education, or employment without fear or discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse people.
[Added 5-22-2025 ATM, Art. 31]
WHEREAS recent changes to Federal immigration law and enforcement policy have rendered them dangerous to Fourth Amendment rights, fearsome to our immigrant neighbors, and prejudicial to public safety and law enforcement in our community:
An Executive Order of 20 January 2025 (“Protecting the American People against Invasion”) ends the priority for deportation of undocumented persons convicted of serious crimes, expanding it to all undocumented persons;
Administrative guidance from the Department of Homeland Security (21 January 2025) rescinds prior doctrine designating “sensitive areas” off-limits to enforcement actions, which included the interior of churches and schools;
A related directive from that Department (21 January) also expands the definition of persons subject to expedited removal—that is, without a hearing in immigration court;
The Laken Riley law (29 January 2025) prescribes mandatory detention without bond for those merely accused, not convicted, of crimes of varying severity, including misdemeanors such as shoplifting; and
The President’s citation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act implies that it enables “summary detention” and deportation at the president’s discretion under this Act—that is, without a warrant.
WE THEREFORE REAFFIRM our resolution on immigration enforcement policy, passed at Town Meeting in May 2017. Our resolution emphasized that Federal immigration detainer requests and administrative warrants are not binding on Town officials, while seeking to protect the due process rights of residents without regard to their immigration status.
In particular, WE REAFFIRM our resolution that modification of Williamstown Police Department procedures with regard to immigration enforcement “shall not be effective until presentation of such action at a public meeting of the [Select Board] with such presentation given 30 days advance public notice in the manner required for public meetings.”