Civic leaders from across Massachusetts convened at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate last Thursday morning to discuss immigration policies and programs. The event, “Municipal Leaders for Immigrant Advancement: Stronger Communities for All,” was hosted by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

“Immigrants are part of our communities and families,” said Walsh. Himself the son of Irish immigrants, Walsh has continued the work of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, which was founded in 1998 by Mayor Thomas Menino.

Along with 18 other civic leaders, Walsh signed a proclamation stating that June 2017 was Immigrant Heritage Month, a time for declaring solidarity with immigrants, and asserting a “commitment to the values of diversity, inclusivity, and equality.”

The joint proclamation signing was immediately followed by an hour-long panel discussion moderated by Boston Globe editorial writer Marcela García about sanctuary cities, misinformation, and more.

Participating were Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, and attorney Irasema Garza representing Oxfam America.

As the sitting police representative, Kyes spent several minutes discussing the interaction between local police forces and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He said there is a clear distinction between the activities of ICE agents and police officers: “We are not part of that operation at all.”

However, he later qualified that remark in response to a question about what residents should know regarding the separation between the two entities. “Technically, [ICE agents] are law enforcement officers; they are police officers,” Kyes said. “It’s problematic.” He referenced a February article from the Los Angeles Times that explicitly states it is legal for ICE agents to impersonate police, but they cannot enter homes without a warrant or permission from an adult.

Another important point Kyes stressed was the matter of trust between officers who patrol the streets of the communities they serve. Curtatone seconded that, saying,“It takes a lot of work to gain the trust of people and earn credit.”

Curtatone added that Somerville has been a sanctuary city since 1987 and employs a number of programs for immigrants, including a liaison program for schools, translation services, and general outreach. He expressed alarm at how misinformation has polarized communities, especially over the last year. He and other civic leaders emphasized that the introduction of immigrants actually correlates with a reduction in crime and bolstered economies, contrary to popular opinion. “When we arm ourselves with facts and information, it starts to neutralize,” Curtatone said.

Representing Oxfam America, Garza came prepared with information. A longtime political advisor, including stints at the Department of Labor, Garza cited a January study from the University of California San Diego that she said disproved widely held myths about immigrants.

“The data are clear: Crime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared to nonsanctuary counties,” stated the report, titled “The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy.” “Moreover, economies are stronger in sanctuary counties— from higher median household income, less poverty, and less reliance on public assistance to higher labor force participation, higher employment-to-population ratios, and lower unemployment.”

Each panelist said it was important to foster trust between immigrant communities and local authorities. For Espinoza-Madrigal of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, that’s as simple as an immigrant’s ability to dial 911. “If I’m walking down the street and I get attacked, and the only witness to that crime is an undocumented immigrant … that interaction places someone at risk,” Espinoza-Madrigal said. “It makes no sense why you wouldn’t want everybody in a community to be able to call 911.”

Garza added that undocumented immigrants are not a faceless entity, either. She said there are children and families in detention centers across the city today. “These are human rights issues,” Garza said. “I think that it’s really important to put a human face on this.”

Espinoza-Madrigal and Curtatone both cited systemic racism as the foundation for much of modern immigration policy. While Curtatone qualified that ICE agents and police officers are not necessarily racists or white nationalists, Espinoza-Madrigal said hate needed to be challenged at all levels. She noted that in the month after last year’s presidential election, reports of hate incidents catalogued by the Southern Poverty Law Center were notably high in Massachusetts, behind only California, New York, and Texas, and tied with Washington state.

“We refuse to live in a world where racial profiling and discrimination run rampant,” Espinoza-Madrigal said.