WHAT: Rally
WHEN: Saturday, March 7 at 2pm
WHERE: In front of Montreal City Hall, 275 Notre-Dame Street East
On the eve of International Women’s Day, undocumented and precarious status migrants and supporters will gather in front of City Hall to demand that Mayor Soraya Martinez make Montreal a Sanctuary City.
As the first racialized woman from an immigrant background to serve as mayor of Montreal, Soraya Martinez is expected to take an exemplary stance to protect the integrity and dignity of the thousands of Montrealers who have no economic, political, or social rights because of their immigration status. The rise of anti-migrant sentiment and policies, both in the United States and Canada, leaves them more vulnerable than ever.
At the rally, an open letter to the Mayor explaining the position and requesting a meeting, signed by dozens of Montreal organizations, will be presented.
Facts regarding the position of the City of Montreal on undocumented and precarious status community members:
- In February 2017, the Denis Coderre administration, in response to Trump’s first term, declared Montreal a sanctuary city, without taking any steps to ensure the safety of undocumented migrants;
- In December 2018, the Valérie Plante administration declared Montreal never would be a sanctuary city, taking the position that the City could not order the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) to ignore CBSA arrest warrants; however, her administration did adopt measures to improve the situation of undocumented Montrealers;
- A January 2021 investigation concluded that Canadian municipalities, including Montreal, did not sufficiently live up to their commitments to protect migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- In March 2024, an article confirmed that the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) continues to contact the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to verify the status of migrants, although there has been a decrease in the number of calls in recent years.
