Leadership and Policy for Welcoming and Inclusive Communities

By Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project

As President Trump’s deportation plans begin to take shape, refugee and immigrant communities across the country face fear and uncertainty. Of the 30+ executive orders signed in the first week, ten are aimed at clamping down on immigration and ramping up fast-track deportation efforts. Among other cities, ICE raids so far have targeted Denver, Chicago, Newark, Austin, Phoenix, Omaha, Atlanta and Miami creating confusion for immigrant communities worrying about what to do if ICE comes knocking on the door and causing concern amongst local elected officials seeking to care for the individuals and families in their communities.

While Trump campaign rhetoric largely targeted criminals and those who entered the country illegally, early administrative action indicates a wider net. From executive orders that aim to repeal birthright citizenship, to cancelling the planned flights of certified asylum seekers, to a Homeland Security directive that grants ICE officials authority to expedite deportation for immigrants who entered the country legally under programs launched by President Biden, these efforts indicate a willingness to pursue individuals who were following a legal process. The actions are alarming local leaders who have invested in programs and policies to support established refugees and asylum seekers and law abiding undocumented individuals who are an important part of their local community.

At the 2025 Mayor’s Innovation Project (MIP) winter meeting in Washington D.C., MIP talked with mayors from across the country as well as to national experts from Welcoming America and The Immigration Hub. We discussed the benefits of cities creating welcoming and inclusive communities and what the likely impact of the new administration’s impending policies means for refugees and immigrant communities. “This shift to ‘otherize’, demonize, and expel essentially any foreign born individuals is deeply disturbing to many local leaders, who have invested in policies and programs to ensure everyone feels welcomed by and connected to their communities,” said Katya Spear, Managing Director of the Mayors Innovation Project. “Mayors across the country tell us these efforts to build trust and engagement benefit not just immigrant and refugee communities but also the community and its economy as a whole.”

Daniel Valdez, Chief External Affairs Officer of Welcoming America says mayors are indeed on the front line of this complex issue because the real work is happening at the local level. Welcoming America works with a network of over 300 communities, including both non-profit organizations and local governments, to create communities where everyone belongs, and prospers. City leaders in their discussion emphasized the importance of prioritizing a welcoming community for all residents while supporting targeted efforts that reduce barriers to civic, social, and economic participation.

“It’s important that mayors proactively create a safe and inclusive environment for all residents,” said Executive Director of Welcoming America, Rachel Perić. “Mayors can lead by shifting the conversation back to what is needed for all residents to feel valued, put down roots, and thrive as neighbors.”

Kerri Talbot, Executive Director of The Immigration Hub told mayors and city leaders at our Winter MIP Meeting, “It’s up to you about how you want to cooperate with ICE and there is a whole spectrum of cooperation – from being a sanctuary city to offering local police support for the operations.” Talbot reported raids began in the large farm community of Bakersfield, CA targeting migrant farm workers who were afraid of coming out of the fields for fear of being arrested. “Large scale deportations are difficult to conduct without the help of local law enforcement and many police departments are hesitant to do that,” added Talbot.

There are multiple ways that Trump can – or is espousing to – punish cities across the spectrum of welcoming. National Public Radio reports state and local officials who do not cooperate with stepped-up immigration enforcement could face federal prosecution, according to a Justice Department memo issued the day after inauguration. The January 21 memo says prosecutors should return to the principle of charging defendants with ‘the most serious, readily provable offense,’ removing the discretion to charge for a lower-level offense. Despite this, most legal scholars commenting on the memo think it is unlikely that the new administration will pursue legal punishment for city leaders and law enforcement. However, the administration can and likely will withhold or defer federal funding for cities it seeks to punish.

Another way cities determine their level of engagement is whether they enter into 287(g) agreements, which allow local and state law enforcement officers to be deputized to perform certain functions of federal immigration agents, and the administration is likely to try to recruit more to enter into these agreements. Again, localities cannot legally be punished for not entering into these agreements, but not doing so may also lead to withholding funds. In either case, it will be important for mayors to talk about the impact of this funding in the weeks ahead. Is vulnerable federal funding providing legal services, food, shelter, healthcare, or transportation? Identify those vulnerabilities and talk candidly about their potential impact on the city and on families and neighbors. 

This work is a moving target and moving fast. Much of what’s being said right now is meant to induce fear. Just as criminal charges for city leaders who don’t aid ICE are unlikely, so are raids on schools or churches. 

Here is what cities can do in the coming weeks: 

  1. Clear messaging can calm fear and uncertainty. Form, strengthen, and regularly engage coalitions with (for example) chambers of commerce, hospitals, local businesses, faith-based organizations, and schools. If you have not already, issue memos to these entities with concise information about your commitment to ensuring their safety as a place of worship, refuge, education, etc. and outlining any details about how your local government will or will not be assisting immigration efforts. 
  2. Ensure accurate information is being distributed to these partners about their rights and the rights of those they serve. As just one example, judicial search warrants signed by a judge authorize agents to enter your home or place of business, whereas administrative documents do not. More information on the distinction is available here
  3. Similarly, reach out to leaders in the immigrant community to help quell fear. Consider doing a press conference, in person town hall, or virtual town hall in collaboration with groups that represent the immigrant community to offer public assurance, answer questions, and share information. 
  4. Assess what federal funding might be vulnerable and who might be impacted by that funding being withdrawn. Create messages to help communicate how pulling this funding punishes people and contradicts the values of the community. 
  5. Focus your messaging on the appropriate role of local law enforcement and on the humane treatment of all people in your community. The administration seeks to demonize sanctuary cities and welcoming cities and to cast doubt on the legality of these approaches. As a general rule, unless local law says otherwise, local law enforcement is not compelled to assist ICE, though they do have to comply with legal orders. The Immigration Hub has a robust messaging guide that speaks uniquely to the role of mayors, and which is being updated frequently. 

Finally the Immigration Hub’s Kerri Talbot advised, “Make the case for order. The national presidential vote was not a mandate for cruelty.”