In 1987, the City of Somerville's City Council (then known as the Board of Aldermen) adopted a resolution establishing Somerville as a sanctuary city. Below is a timeline of Somerville's sanctuary city resolutions and policies.

1 day ago · Two sanctuary cities in Massachusetts—Chelsea and Somerville—filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to coerce them into participating in mass deportation efforts. Represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, the Cities assert that the Administration’s heavy-handed tactics—threatening to strip sanctuary cities of federal funding and prosecute them for ...

1 day ago · As sanctuary cities, Somerville and Chelsea have laws on the books protecting marginalized communities. Somerville declared itself a sanctuary city in 1987 and now refers to itself as a “welcoming city.” Chelsea declared its sanctuary status in 2007. The cities say they are resisting Trump administration efforts to coerce cities into ...

22 hours ago · Somerville and Chelsea contend federal leaders’ “heavy-handed tactics” amount to executive overreach and an unconstitutional attack on so-called sanctuary cities — communities that limit ...

1 day ago · Two cities in Massachusetts are suing the Trump administration for “coercing” sanctuary jurisdictions into participating with mass deportation efforts. Chelsea and Somerville, both sanctuary cities, filed suit in federal court on Monday over concerns that the administration will “strip” them of federal funds and prosecute them for not ...

20 hours ago · BOSTON—Two sanctuary cities in Massachusetts—Chelsea and Somerville—filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to coerce them into participating in mass deportation efforts. Represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, the Cities assert that the Administration’s heavy-handed tactics—threatening to strip ...

21 hours ago · Two Massachusetts cities have become the first East Coast cities to push back on the Trump administration's policy on sanctuary cities. Both Chelsea and Somerville are suing the administration ...

1 day ago · Somerville and Chelsea, two “sanctuary cities” that prohibit their police forces from full participation in federal deportation efforts, said the proposed funding cuts would be detrimental to ...

21 hours ago · The cities of Chelsea and Somerville filed suit on Monday, asking a federal judge to block the Trump administration's efforts to withhold funding from so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions."

1 day ago · Somerville has since 2014 been a Trust Act city, which reinforced its municipal identification as a sanctuary city first adopted in 1987 and updated in 1989, according to the lawsuit. In 2014, the ...