GILL — Residents came before the Selectboard on Monday to discuss the status of immigrant sanctuary in Gill, police response to possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in town, and options for community outreach and information sharing on immigration rights.

This discussion, led by resident James Asbel, was an opportunity for the six residents who joined him as part of the newly formed group “Gill Indivisible” to spearhead a conversation with municipal officials and get clarification on where the town stands on immigrant sanctuary.

“I basically hoped to broach the conversation under the aggressive nature of the new administration,” Asbel said in an interview Tuesday.

This discussion in Gill comes following a six-day “enhanced targeted enforcement operation focusing on transnational organized crime, gangs, and egregious illegal alien offenders,” which was carried out by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston, a law enforcement directorate within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in Massachusetts over the last week. ERO Boston announced Monday the apprehension of 370 individuals.

According to the agency’s announcement, 205 of the people arrested in Massachusetts during the March 18 to March 23 effort “had significant criminal convictions or charges,” including six foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime and money laundering.

The agency’s announcement stated that arrests were made in Boston, Marlborough, Worcester, Salem, Milford, Lowell, Medford, Wakefield, New Bedford, Pittsfield and West Yarmouth.

As the meeting in Gill began, there was talk of the town’s existing Safe Communities policy titled “An Order Relating to the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Detainers in the Town of Gill.”

Police Chief Christopher Redmond said the policy follows a decision from the 2017 Lunn v. Commonwealth, which holds that no individual can be detained based on immigration status, except for when there is a probable cause of a federal criminal offense.

“Basically that outlines that local law enforcement in Massachusetts will not honor civil detainers, but if there is a criminal warrant issued by a federal court, then we are obligated,” Redmond explained.

Gill’s policy states that the Gill Police Department “shall neither honor nor enforce a civil immigration detainer requested from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) when such order seeks the excessive and/or unnecessary detention of an individual in department custody beyond the point at which he or she would otherwise be released.” A federal criminal warrant is required, per the policy.

Redmond noted that, given the size of the Gill Police Department and the size of a federal operation, an inquiry about where a street may be in the small town of roughly 1,500 people could come through to him from a federal agent. Detention would not be handled by Gill and would instead be handled by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

As for information on any federal arrests made in Gill that the public should be aware of, Redmond explained that, “We’re not involved with the arrest, prosecution, detainment, so there’s not a lot we would have for information, but we certainly could disclose in our monthly logs that we submit, or through a public records request.”

Asbel was advised by the Selectboard to speak with organizers of the Gill newsletter regarding any information that he’d like to submit about immigrant rights and advocacy by Gill residents in support of immigrants. Board member Randy Crochier said this would be the preferred approach, as the newsletter would be less likely to be confused with town policy.

On Tuesday, Asbel said he is working with Indivisible Gill to figure out what should be included in a newsletter submission, but he’d like to include a “Red Card,” which details the rights and protection of all people in the U.S., regardless of immigration status.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.