Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center Launches First Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Program in the Quad Cities
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, June 19 -- UnityPoint Health issued the following news release:
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UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center Launches First Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Program in the Quad Cities
UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center is bringing specialized eating disorder care to the Quad Cities with the launch of the region's first Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disorders.
The new program is for adults struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. It provides a higher level of support than traditional therapy without requiring inpatient
... Show Full Article
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, June 19 -- UnityPoint Health issued the following news release:
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UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center Launches First Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Program in the Quad Cities
UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center is bringing specialized eating disorder care to the Quad Cities with the launch of the region's first Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disorders.
The new program is for adults struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. It provides a higher level of support than traditional therapy without requiring inpatientor residential treatment.
"Eating disorders affect both a person's mental and physical health and can significantly impact relationships, work and daily functioning," says Stephanie Burrough, community relations specialist at UnityPoint Health - Robert Young Center and program director of Amys Gift, the Quad Cities Eating Disorders Consortium. "We want people to know there is help and there is hope. Recovery is possible, and no one should feel shame or stigma when seeking care."
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, nearly 29 million Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, and these conditions have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness. Early and specialized treatment plays a critical role in recovery outcomes.
The Intensive Outpatient Program offers a comprehensive range of therapeutic services delivered by a team of licensed mental health professionals and certified dietitians. Services include individual, group and family therapy sessions, with programming focused on mental health support, nutrition education and relaxation techniques.
"The purpose of this program is to support individuals as they work toward reclaiming their health," Burrough adds. "By combining evidence-based therapies, we're able to provide structured care and accountability while still allowing people to return home and stay connected to their support systems."
Learn more about behavioral health services at UnityPoint Health.
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Original text here: https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/press-releases/robert-young-center-launches-first-eating-disorder-intensive-outpatient-program-in-the-quad-cities
[Category: Health Care]
New Jersey Tries to Hobble ICE
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: International] -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform issued the following news release:
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New Jersey Tries to Hobble ICE
FAIR shows state's policy is unconstitutional
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In New Jersey, an executive order by the Governor bars federal civil immigration officers from entering, accessing, or using nonpublic areas of state-owned property without a judicial warrant, even when removable aliens may be present there. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey showing
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: International] -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform issued the following news release:
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New Jersey Tries to Hobble ICE
FAIR shows state's policy is unconstitutional
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In New Jersey, an executive order by the Governor bars federal civil immigration officers from entering, accessing, or using nonpublic areas of state-owned property without a judicial warrant, even when removable aliens may be present there. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) has filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey showingthat this policy violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.
In its brief, FAIR shows that the Constitution makes state laws and policies nullities if they stand in the way of federal officers pursuing a mission given to them by federal law. If federal immigration law enforcement officials are pursuing a removal alien, they may do so notwithstanding state policies purporting to deny them access to public property-such as a jail-in which the alien might be located. Were it otherwise, federal law would not be supreme over state law, as it is declared to be in the Supremacy Clause.
Also, FAIR points out, state officials who deny federal agents access to a building containing a removable alien because of this policy will be committing the federal crime of harboring that removable alien. The federal harboring law thus overrides or "preempts" the incompatible state policy.
"It's a no-brainer that this executive order violates the Supremacy Clause," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of FAIR. "New Jersey cannot put up state-law barriers to block federal agents from doing their jobs under federal law. We hope the court realizes that this latest gambit of a sanctuary state to hobble ICE has the same constitutional problem all the others do, and rules against New Jersey."
The case is United States v. New Jersey, No. 3:26-cv-01770 (D.N.J.)
To read FAIR's brief click here.
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Original text here: https://www.fairus.org/press-releases/new-jersey-tries-hobble-ice
National Parks Conservation Association: Report Explores Future Opportunities for a Restored Mississippi River
WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSrpt) -- The National Parks Conservation Association issued the following news release on June 18, 2026:
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New Report Explores Future Opportunities for a Restored Mississippi River
Our "Reimagining the River," report reveals opportunities to expand recreation, strengthen community connections, and generate economic benefits for the Twin Cities region.
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MINNEAPOLIS - Today, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released an economic report examining how restoring portions of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities by removing two locks and dams within
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSrpt) -- The National Parks Conservation Association issued the following news release on June 18, 2026:
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New Report Explores Future Opportunities for a Restored Mississippi River
Our "Reimagining the River," report reveals opportunities to expand recreation, strengthen community connections, and generate economic benefits for the Twin Cities region.
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MINNEAPOLIS - Today, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released an economic report examining how restoring portions of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities by removing two locks and dams withinMississippi National River and Recreation Area, could expand recreation, strengthen community connections, and generate economic benefits for the region.
NPCA commissioned the report, Reimagining the River, as a part of a broader suite of studies underway by federal and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic partners and Tribal communities, to inform the future of the Mississippi River and the surrounding communities' connections to it.
Reimagining the River is focused on the eight-mile stretch of river from St. Anthony Falls to the upper confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, and lies within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, the only national park unit dedicated to this mighty river. This stretch--known as the Gorge--is one of the most distinctive and culturally significant urban river reaches anywhere in the country.
"For the first time in over a century, our communities have an opportunity to redefine our relationship with the Mississippi River," said Christine Goepfert, Midwest Policy Director for the National Parks Conservation Association. "River restoration through lock and dam removal could expand river access, strengthen community connections, and generate economic opportunities for this region at the heart of this national park."
Following the end of commercial barge traffic in 2015, NPCA's Reimagining the River explores the possibility of lock and dam removal, which is currently under evaluation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with other options. While NPCA does not have a formal position supporting or opposing dam removal, the report highlights the economic opportunities removal could provide as discussions continue about the river's future.
NPCA worked with the Harbinger Consultancy to develop a preliminary analysis of how a restored Mississippi River might impact outdoor recreation, improve community access and provide expanded economic benefits in the region. "While we cannot say for sure what will happen in the Twin Cities, peer community experience indicates that investment in river restoration and recreation can pay measurable economic dividends," said Michele Archie, Harbinger Principal.
The report features case studies of comparable communities that have invested in river recreation, share similar urban characteristics with the Twin Cities, and evaluated the economic return of these investments. Communities include Richmond (VA), Golden (CO), Pittsburgh (PA), and San Antonio (TX). Lessons from these cities show that thoughtful design, programming and inclusive partnerships and cultural connections could put the Twin Cities on par with the nation's best. Each of these case studies included recreational opportunities like paddling, tubing, whitewater, and land use trails expanding the range of use and access for visitors and locals alike.
Data from these cities show that strategic investment in river restoration yields substantial local returns, generating as much as $34 million annually in visitor spending. These investments could boost local tax revenues, support small businesses, increase tourism and outdoor recreation economies and offer opportunities for riverfront revitalization.
"What's clear from our research is that with more river access comes more economic opportunity for the urban communities in the region," added Goepfert.
Currently, water-based recreation represents only a small fraction of the millions of annual visits to the Mississippi River. Restoring a free-flowing river here would replace the current flatwater system with a dynamic, shallow environment featuring pools, rapids, and more than a dozen emerging mid-channel islands. This would shift and expand potential river use in the Twin Cities.
None of the peer communities involved dam removal, so to understand the potential of river restoration, NPCA's report also analyzed three additional urban river communities, including Columbus (GA), Milwaukee (WI), and Cuyahoga Valley (OH). After dam removal, those communities attracted new riverfront investments, experienced increases in visitation at new river-related parks and saw increases in native fish.
According to data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, past dam removals in the state saw an average of 66% of absent fish species return upstream. Studies suggest that reconnecting river habitat could substantially increase the number of native fish species present within the corridor.
The future of the Mississippi River will be shaped by science, community voices, Tribal perspectives, economic analysis, and public engagement. NPCA remains committed to working with local communities to understand what is possible while ensuring that future decisions reflect the river's ecological, cultural, recreational and economic importance.
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation's most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
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REPORT: https://npca.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/4765/2113864d-897c-40cb-8c23-755fc6fb68b1.pdf?1781040471
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Original text here: https://www.npca.org/articles/11413-new-report-explores-future-opportunities-for-a-restored-mississippi-river
[Category: Environment]
MAJOR VICTORY: Ninth Circuit Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking California's Child Transition Secrecy Law
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: Political] -- America First Legal, a civil rights organization, posted the following news release:
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MAJOR VICTORY: Ninth Circuit Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking California's Child Transition Secrecy Law
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AFL secures federal appellate win, vindicating parental rights under the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta
America First Legal Foundation, with co-counsel Schaerr Jaffe, achieved a major victory on behalf of the City of Huntington Beach and brave California parents after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: Political] -- America First Legal, a civil rights organization, posted the following news release:
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MAJOR VICTORY: Ninth Circuit Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking California's Child Transition Secrecy Law
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AFL secures federal appellate win, vindicating parental rights under the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta
America First Legal Foundation, with co-counsel Schaerr Jaffe, achieved a major victory on behalf of the City of Huntington Beach and brave California parents after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuitentered a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of key provisions of California's AB 1955 -a law that prohibits schools from disclosing information to parents about a child's sexual orientation, "gender identity," or gender expression, unless the child consents. In other words, the State of California sought to prevent parents from obtaining information about "gender transitions" of their own children without the child's consent.
In City of Huntington Beach v. Newsom, No. 25-3826, the three-judge panel enjoined Defendants from enforcing Sections 5 and 6 of AB 1955 as to the Plaintiff-Parents with respect to information about their children. The Ninth Circuit reconsidered its prior denials of preliminary injunctive relief in light of the Supreme Court's decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta, 607 U.S. 492 (2026), and found that the Plaintiff-Parents satisfied all requirements for emergency relief. The court held that the parents "very likely have standing because they are objects of the challenged exclusion policies," regardless of "any individualized showing as to whether a particular parent's child was likely to exhibit gender dysphoria."
The court further declared that "parents-not the State-have primary authority with respect to the upbringing and education of children" and "have the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children's mental health." The Ninth Circuit concluded that AB 1955 "forbids the mandatory policies that the Constitution requires" regarding disclosure of gender dysphoria information to parents and that "[t]he deprivation of constitutional rights constitutes irreparable harm" and that the injunction "promotes child safety by guaranteeing fit parents a role in some of the most consequential decisions in their children's lives."
This victory marks AFL's second circuit-level win grounded in the Supreme Court's decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta. In Doe v. Pine Richland School District, the Third Circuit reversed the district court's dismissal of AFL's client's claims, ruling that the mother had Article III standing to pursue her constitutional claims against a Pennsylvania school district that secretly provided "gender transition teams" to students without parental notification or consent. AFL now holds victories in two federal circuits, establishing that the Constitution protects the fundamental right of parents to be informed about critical decisions in their children's lives.
"The Ninth Circuit's decision is a powerful vindication of parental rights," said Nick Barry, Senior Counsel at AFL. "California cannot use state law to force schoolteachers and administrators into a conspiracy of silence against parents. California's law, and similar school policies, use state coercion to intentionally interfere with the parent-child relationship and separate a child from their parent. That is wrong and unlawful. The Constitution is clear -parents have the right to know what is happening with their children and make decisions regarding their mental health, and no state law can override that fundamental protection."
America First Legal will continue to defend parental rights and challenge unconstitutional government overreach at every level of the judicial system.
Read the court's full ruling here.
Learn more about this case here.
Find more of AFL's resources for parents here.
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Original text here: https://aflegal.org/press-release/major-victory-ninth-circuit-grants-preliminary-injunction-blocking-californias-child-transition-secrecy-law/
Human Rights Watch, 61 Civil Society Groups Demand UK Halt 'Experimental' AI Age Assessment for Asylum-Seeking Children
NEW YORK, June 19 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following open letter with 61 civil society groups:
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UK: Home Office Should Halt AI Experiment on Children Seeking Asylum
Human Rights Watch joins 61 civil society groups in calling on the UK Home Office to halt its plans to use facial age estimation (FAE) technology to evaluate whether people seeking asylum are under or over 18. This experimental technology poses significant risks to the rights of children and all asylum seekers. In a letter to the Home Office, the groups outline concerns regarding discrimination,
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 19 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch posted the following open letter with 61 civil society groups:
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UK: Home Office Should Halt AI Experiment on Children Seeking Asylum
Human Rights Watch joins 61 civil society groups in calling on the UK Home Office to halt its plans to use facial age estimation (FAE) technology to evaluate whether people seeking asylum are under or over 18. This experimental technology poses significant risks to the rights of children and all asylum seekers. In a letter to the Home Office, the groups outline concerns regarding discrimination,inaccuracy and inefficacy, potential privacy violations, and lack of transparency around the plans. The scheme was first announced in July 2025, and the Home Office expects to launch it in 2027.
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This open letter has been prepared by Foxglove and Human Rights Watch. A full list of signatories can be found at the bottom of the page.
The Hon. Alex Norris, Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum
CC: The Rt. Hon. Shabana Mahmood, Secretary of State for the Home Department
2 Marsham St
SW1P 4DF
Dear Minister,
We write as 62 organisations alarmed at the Home Office's decision to deploy Facial Age Estimation (FAE) to assess asylum seeking children from 2027. We believe this technology poses a serious threat to the rights of these children, a uniquely vulnerable population, and call on the Home Office to halt its use immediately.
Discrimination :
There are substantial and well-founded concerns about the bias of FAE. Many have highlighted its baked-in failures and discrimination, particularly in relation to women and people of colour. The Home Office has itself noted "that FAE performance can vary depending on ethnicity" and skin tone.
Evidence shows FAE is most accurate when estimating the ages of Eastern European men but even then it consistently produces errors. On what basis can the Home Office possibly conclude this technology will assist in their decision-making for asylum seeking children who are predominantly people of colour? Please explain.
Inaccuracy:
The Home Office admits FAE systems are imprecise at the crucial 16-to-18-year-old boundary, with even the "top systems" having an "error margin of around 2.5 years here". This is exactly the age range for which the Home Office has chosen to deploy this technology. And this error margin will be widened yet further as a result of the stress and trauma induced ageing from which asylum seeking children suffer.
The faces of children seeking asylum tend to prematurely age from trauma and violence as well as months or years of travel enduring malnutrition, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and exposure to salt water during a dangerous sea crossing. Their facial features are likely to be distinct from other children their age who have not experienced trauma and violence.
As such, unless this technology has been trained on asylum seeking children in particular - which itself raises questions about its lawfulness (please see below) - we can see no basis upon which the Home Office has concluded this technology will increase the accuracy of its decision making. Please explain.
Lawfulness of Use of Children's Data:
Please confirm on what images and/or data this technology has been trained. We can see no lawful basis upon which the Home Office, or its chosen third-party FAE vendors, could have sought consent for the collection and processing of photographs or data from asylum-seeking children to train this system. If you disagree, please explain. And, because of the unique facial features of asylum seeking children, without the use of such unlawful data, we can see no basis on which the system could hope to produce accurate results.
And therefore, we cannot see how the use of this technology to assess the age of asylum seeking children could ever be lawful. If you disagree, please explain on what basis.
Lack of Necessary Disclosure:
We appreciate the publication of this guidance, however the lack of detail means we are unable to properly understand and/or assess how the rights of children and others seeking asylum in the UK will be safeguarded when FAE is in use. Please set out, in detail, how this FAE technology has been built and the data upon which it has been, and continues to be, trained.
The Home Office claims "extensive testing has already been carried out across diverse groups, including different ethnicities, genders and age ranges, indicating promising performance and accuracy." But these "promising" results have not been published. Why? The Home Office has also refused or failed to publish any Equality or Data Protection Impact Assessments. We write urgently seeking that information and to request the Home Office halt the scheme in the meantime.
It is particularly concerning that the Home Office's communications about the roll-out of FAE lean heavily on the argument that adults are masquerading as children to gain favourable treatment, when recent research suggests that children are currently being misidentified as adults and, in some cases, deported under the one-in-one-out policy.
Please confirm:
1. Has this AI system shown "promising" results for people seeking asylum whose facial ageing can present differently due to trauma suffered? Please provide us with a copy of these results, disaggregated by age, gender, country of origin, and any other relevant demographic information.
2. Please provide us with details about how this FAE was tested? Please set out the methodology used along with all Equality and Data Protection Impact Assessments completed to date.
3. If the system has been trained and tested on people seeking asylum, on what basis was this data collected? From where? How was it processed? And with what consent process in place?
4. At what stage(s) of the asylum process will this technology be deployed? What decisions will be made as a result of any age estimation created by this FAE technology?
5. How will the results be taken into account as part of any officers' decision-making process?
6. What opportunities will people seeking asylum have to scrutinise the results of FAE? What will the process be for contesting the results, and appealing any of the resulting decisions?
7. What are the safeguards and protections you have in place to ensure this AI system does not infringe upon the rights of children seeking asylum?
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, in his 2025 report on the Home Office's use of age assessments, was damning. He wrote, "I have listened to young people who felt disbelieved and dismissed by the Home Office, whose hopes have been crushed, and whose mental health has suffered." The Home Office, he said, had an "uphill task" in persuading the British people that it could be trusted on age assessment.
We ask now that the Home Office take on this uphill task in good faith and release the information that is required to scrutinise the legality and ethics of this deployment of new technology on some of the most vulnerable people - and children - in our world.
We respectfully request a response from your department within 21 days.
Yours sincerely,
1. 5Rights Foundation
2. Amnesty International
3. Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)
4. Avaaz
5. Beyond Detention
6. Big Brother Watch
7. Bristol Law Centre
8. Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group
9. Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign
10. Care4Calais
11. Central England Law Centre
12. CivicLeicester
13. Connected by Data
14. Da'aro Youth Project
15. Data, Tech and Black Communities
16. Defend Digital Me
17. Detention Action
18. Doctors of the World UK
19. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
20. Forced Migration and The Arts
21. Foxglove
22. Glitch
23. Global Link
24. Good Law Project
25. Haringey Welcome
26. Helen Bamber Foundation
27. Hope for the Young
28. Human Rights Watch
29. Humans for Rights Network
30. ILPA
31. Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)
32. Jesuit Refugee Service UK
33. Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
34. JustRight Scotland
35. Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN)
36. Liberty
37. Medical Justice
38. Migrant Democracy Project
39. Migrant Voice
40. Migrants' Rights Network
41. No Recourse North East
42. NO2ID
43. Open Rights Group
44. Our AI Collective
45. Our Second Home
46. People vs Big Tech
47. Play for Progress
48. Privacy International
49. Project Play
50. Public Law Project
51. Pull The Plug
52. Race Equality First
53. Racial Justice Network
54. Refugee Action
55. Snowdrop Project
56. Solidarity Detainee Support (SDS)
57. The Baca Charity
58. Waging Peace
59. West London Welcome
60. Women for Refugee Women
61. Young Outspoken Survivors
62. Young Roots
***
Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/18/uk-home-office-should-halt-ai-experiment-on-children-seeking-asylum
Ascension Sacred Heart partners with Visit Pensacola to launch lifesaving skills training for hospitality workers
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: Health Care] -- Ascension, a faith-based healthcare organization, posted the following news release:
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Ascension Sacred Heart partners with Visit Pensacola to launch lifesaving skills training for hospitality workers
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Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola and Visit Pensacola successfully launched the inaugural Summer Safe Pensacola Series, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Northwest Florida designed to equip frontline hospitality workers with critical emergency response skills.
The launch event, held on June 16, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 19 [Category: Health Care] -- Ascension, a faith-based healthcare organization, posted the following news release:
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Ascension Sacred Heart partners with Visit Pensacola to launch lifesaving skills training for hospitality workers
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Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola and Visit Pensacola successfully launched the inaugural Summer Safe Pensacola Series, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Northwest Florida designed to equip frontline hospitality workers with critical emergency response skills.
The launch event, held on June 16, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach,provided free, hands-on training to 50 local hospitality workers. Attendees represented a broad cross-section of the tourism industry, including staff from hotels, restaurants, attractions, and tourist organizations, as well as local surfing and tennis instructors.
Medical and trauma experts from Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, Studer Family Children's Hospital, Escambia County Emergency Services, Lifeguard AirCare 3, and Nemours Children's Health led the instruction. The curriculum focused on three vital emergency response areas:
* Hands-only CPR: Bystander intervention through immediate CPR can triple survival rates for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
* Stop The Bleed: Participants practiced techniques to control severe bleeding, a leading cause of preventable death following traumatic injury.
* Water Safety Skills: Training provided drowning prevention resources tailored for children, individuals with autism and special needs, and adults with dementia.
"We are thrilled to partner with Visit Pensacola to offer this free training event and equip hospitality workers with lifesaving skills to respond when seconds count," said Will Condon, President and CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. "Using the expertise of the region's only Level I Trauma Center to help keep residents and visitors safe aligns perfectly with our mission".
The program serves as a strategic response to the area's high visitor volume. "With more than 2.5 million visitors traveling to the Pensacola Bay Area each summer, expanding access to emergency response training helps create a safer environment for residents and visitors alike," said Nicole Stacey, Vice President of Destination Development for Visit Pensacola.
For frontline staff, the training provided practical preparedness. "It's so important to get your frontline people trained-as far as bartenders, maintenance, housekeepers, anything," said attendee Brandi Crowley, Director of Sales for Residence Inn Pensacola-Airport. "You never know who might be walking by and see something".
The Summer Safe Pensacola Series will continue with two additional events:
* August 5: Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach.
* September 9: Perdido Key Visitors Information Center.
***
Original text here: https://about.ascension.org/news/2026/06/ascension-sacred-heart-partners-with-visit-pensacola-to-launch-lifesaving-skills-training-for-hospitality-workers
Anti-Defamation League, Brandeis Center Urge Somerville City Officials to Oppose Israel Boycott Ordinance
NEW YORK, June 19 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release on June 18, 2026, with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law:
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ADL, Brandeis Center Urge Somerville City Officials to Oppose Israel Boycott Ordinance
Organizations warn the ordinance is divisive, harmful, and unconstitutional, and say it would incite hostility toward Jewish residents, harm local businesses, and expose taxpayers to higher costs and litigation
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Somerville,
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, June 19 -- The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization that aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, posted the following news release on June 18, 2026, with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law:
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ADL, Brandeis Center Urge Somerville City Officials to Oppose Israel Boycott Ordinance
Organizations warn the ordinance is divisive, harmful, and unconstitutional, and say it would incite hostility toward Jewish residents, harm local businesses, and expose taxpayers to higher costs and litigation
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Somerville,MA - Today, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law urged Somerville city officials, including Mayor Jake Wilson, to reject a proposed ordinance that would require the city to boycott and divest from companies that do business with Israel.
ADL and Brandeis Center warn that the proposed ordinance is unconstitutional and legally unsustainable, and would deepen community divisions, expose taxpayers to costly litigation, harm local businesses, and further isolate Jewish and Israeli residents. ADL and the Brandeis Center also argue that the ordinance improperly attempts to regulate foreign affairs and international commerce, powers reserved exclusively to the federal government, and conflicts with federal laws supporting commercial relations with Israel.
According to the organizations, Jewish families have reported intimidation, harassment, vandalism, and exclusion, and some have felt compelled to leave the city because of the hostility they have experienced. ADL recorded a total of 279 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts in 2025, including 39 percent related to Israel or Zionism.
"Passing this ordinance will not make Somerville Jews and Jews throughout Massachusetts - who are experiencing harassment, vandalism, and intimidation - safer or more welcome in the community," said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of ADL. "BDS has never been about peace; it's about casting Israel and the Jewish people as uniquely deserving of punishment. This is a moment for local leaders to stand with all their constituents, including their Jewish constituents."
"Local governments should focus on serving residents, not conducting foreign policy," said Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who ran the Office for Civil Rights during two administrations. "This ordinance exceeds the City's authority and raises serious constitutional concerns. Rather than promoting initiatives that threaten to further alienate and put community members at risk, municipal leaders should concentrate on matters within their legal authority, in accordance with Constitutional boundaries, for the welfare of all citizens."
The organizations further warn that the proposal would be bad for local taxpayers and businesses. They point out that it would lead to increased costs and limited competition for city contracts, as well as serve to burden taxpayers with significant legal and administrative costs. They also note that Somerville's own Law Department previously concluded that similar proposals targeting companies doing business with Israel were likely invalid.
If enacted, the measure is expected to face immediate legal challenges from affected businesses, residents, and taxpayers. The organizations argue that city leaders should focus on local priorities rather than adopting a policy that risks further dividing the community and alienating Jewish residents.
Read the ADL's and Brandeis Center's full letter challenging the proposed ordinance HERE (https://brandeiscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ltr-re-Somerville-Ordinance-6.17.26.pdf).
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About ADL
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism, we protect, advocate, and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate. More at www.adl.org.
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About The Brandeis Center
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit corporation established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. LDB engages in research, education, and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses, in the workplace, and elsewhere. It also empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights and educates administrators and employers on best practices to combat anti-Semitism. The Brandeis Center is not affiliated with the Massachusetts university, the Kentucky law school, or any of the other institutions that share the name and honor the memory of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice.
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Original text here: https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-brandeis-center-urge-somerville-city-officials-oppose-israel-boycott
[Category: Political]
