Senate Democrats voiced strong concerns on Monday regarding the Trump administration’s handling of immigration, using an informal session to express their frustrations and fears about the current state of policies.
Over two hours, fourteen Democratic senators, including Senate President Karen Spilka, delivered passionate speeches against the administration’s immigration crackdown, emphasizing the impact on legal immigrants and warning about the erosion of the rule of law.
One notable case discussed was that of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is among those targeted by recent deportation efforts despite holding a visa.
In her compelling speech, Spilka likened the current atmosphere in America to Europe in the 1930s, sharing personal family history that underscored the dangers of political persecution.
Having lost family members during the Holocaust, Spilka recalled her grandfather’s traumatic experiences in Russia that led to his immigration to the United States.
She elaborated on her father’s service in World War II, specifically his involvement in liberating the Buchenwald concentration camp, an experience that she stated haunted him for life.
Drawing on these experiences, Spilka emphasized the urgency of addressing the present issues, urging her colleagues and the public to recognize the severity of the situation.
“Our country is becoming unrecognizable,” she declared, warning that “what we are experiencing in America today is starting to feel like Europe in the 1930s.”
Her words resonated deeply, capturing the fears of many senators who spoke during the session.
Among the attendees were two Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and Sen. Kelly Dooner, who both stood in applause after Spilka’s remarks but remained silent throughout the discussion.
The discontent voiced by the Democrats reflected a broader national dialogue sparked by Trump’s campaign promises for aggressive immigration reforms and the prioritization of deportations for individuals with criminal records.
However, many Democratic senators argued that these policies have disproportionately affected innocent individuals, including Öztürk, who supporters believe faced targeting due to her outspoken views on certain political issues.
Spilka stated that despite not detailing a specific legislative agenda in response to the Trump administration’s actions, the Senate would continue to support the principles outlined in the Response 2025 initiative aimed at safeguarding Massachusetts residents and defending democratic values.
This initiative, launched on April 1, signifies an effort by the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy to proactively respond to federal actions perceived as destabilizing.
In a recent attempt to address concerns about health care access, Senate Democrats introduced legislation to protect reproductive and transgender health care from federal scrutiny, although this measure (SD 2808) has yet to receive a hearing or a vote.
The informal session brought together voices from various Massachusetts districts, each senator citing personal and community impacts of the administration’s immigration policies.
Senator Lydia Edwards expressed a palpable sense of fear for both her own career and the wellbeing of children in her schools, urging a unified response: “If I am scared, God only knows what the children in my schools feel.”
Her call to solidarity resonated with other senators who echoed similar sentiments about the role of immigrants in Massachusetts’s social and economic landscape.
Senator Robyn Kennedy highlighted how funding cuts could jeopardize hundreds of medical trials at UMass Chan Medical School, emphasizing the intersecting interests of immigration policy and healthcare.
Similarly, Senator John Keenan referenced the historical significance of the rule of law, pointing to John Adams’s defense of British soldiers during the Boston Massacre trial as a reminder to uphold justice.
Senator Sal DiDomenico expressed hope that President Trump might hear and reflect on the concerns raised during the session, indicating that the Massachusetts Senate would not yield to presidential demands.
“We are not going to bend the knee,” DiDomenico declared.
“We are a democracy, and we want to fight back, pass legislation, do the right thing and speak up.”
Recognizing the complex landscape of immigration reform, many senators acknowledged the necessity of a responsible and orderly process for managing immigration in the U.S.
Senator Jason Lewis, who immigrated from South Africa as a child, commented on the broken immigration system and the importance of addressing public concerns in Congress.
While the Democratic senators refrained from directly critiquing members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, Spilka called for a more vigorous approach from them to serve as a check on what she termed “unfettered executive power” and to pass meaningful immigration reform.
The sentiments shared during the session paint a picture of a Senate grappling with a rapidly changing political landscape and its implications for personal freedoms, community safety, and the rule of law.
image source from：https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/04/28/senate-democrats-trump-massachusetts
