Video of ICE Prison Flight from Hanscom

2026 will be the second year of Lexington Alarm!. it was exciting as we quickly came together around Patriots Day in 2025 to proclaim “No King, No Tyranny” and “In America, the Law is King” during the town celebrations. We quickly stuck a chord, distributing thousands signs, hosting large rallies and standouts, culminating in our Oct 18th No Kings Rally on the Battle Green, which was the 2nd largest in the state.

But now we face the Valley Forge Years, the “winter of our discontent”. Many of the worst aspects of what we feared came to pass. Some did not. Many institutions and media capitulated to non-confrontation rather than uphold the values they still believed in. There was also resistance. But above all, the same dark anti-democratic forces we feared retained and used their power. It is hard to maintain commitment and enthusiasm when you have to pick and choose your battles.

This meeting will give us a chance to reflect on our role in 2026. What should be our commitment. What should be our battles?

Massachusetts is confronting a due-process crisis of statewide scale: an estimated 6% of the Commonwealth’s residents—about 442,000 people—are undocumented or live with an undocumented family member and are therefore vulnerable to immigration enforcement actions that often proceed without judicial warrants or bond hearings.

During the first year of Covid in 2020, about 5% of the Massachusetts population got infected. This galvanized the governor and legislature to action, and a number of emergency actions were initiated. Our current crisis demands the same response.

Immigration enforcement that violates basic legal rights puts 6% of the State’s population at risk, but our legislature is not acting like there is a crisis.