The mailers started arriving in early July at households across Providence, each card with the headline in English and Spanish, “Citizen or not: You have constitutional rights.”
The 6-by-10-inch placards were sent by the Providence City Council, which launched the Know Your Rights campaign “in direct response to the brutal and unconstitutional enforcement tactics” instituted since President Donald Trump took office in January.
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The intention: instructing residents how to handle run-ins with immigration enforcement officers. Part of those instructions include advising people not to open their door if immigration officers are knocking, particularly if the agents don’t have a judicial warrant.
Council members used their discretionary funds to pay for the mailing, which cost $22,127 for the printing and postage on 62,650 postcards. Also, the council partnered with more than a dozen immigration, labor and advocacy organizations to design the card, which includes a 24/7 help phone line.
Not everybody agreed with the move.
Providence City Council President Rachel Miller said she was surprised by the negative responses from the public, noting that her email inbox was flooded with angry messages telling her that she and the other council members should be imprisoned for attempting to aid the undocumented. That didn’t change her opinion.
“The council stands together to say immigrants are welcome here and to encourage every member of our community to educate themselves about their constitutional rights and where to find help if they need it,” Miller said.
