Providence Mayor Brett Smiley discusses Trump's potential impact on the City

"The Providence Police are not, should not be, and will not be immigration officers," said Mayor Smiley.

“This isn’t the press conference I had hoped to have today,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley as he stood behind a podium at his City Hall office. This transcript has been edited for clarity and content. See the full video below. “I know Vice President Harris will be addressing the nation shortly, but I wanted to take this opportunity to speak directly to the residents of Providence. Yesterday, like so many of my neighbors here in the Capital City, I woke up optimistic. I went to bed dismayed and woke up this morning shocked. Those of you who know me know that I’m not someone who exactly wears my emotions on my sleeve, but there’s no denying that this is an emotional day for millions of Americans and thousands of people here in Providence.”

The Mayor continued:

Mayor Smiley: Yesterday, a majority of the country chose a candidate who ran a campaign based on fear and division, and today, we face the reality of another Trump term. Most of us here in Providence feel sad, scared, and hopeless.

We’re worried about our families, our friends, and our neighbors. The outcome of this election isn’t what we wanted, and we may be feeling powerless, but I want to take a moment to reassure the residents of Providence that we are not powerless. During the next four years under the Trump administration, there will be attempts to unravel our progress, and I’m here to reassure Providence that we won’t let that happen. We have something special here. It’s because of our diverse and vibrant communities. We don’t just welcome multiculturalism. We embrace it, and we’re better because of it.

Over the next four years, we’ll strive to be a model and an example for the rest of the country. We’ll show that inclusion and compassion can make us stronger, healthier, and wealthier. We will look out for one another, our neighbors, our immigrant communities, the women of Providence, our faith communities, and the rights and freedoms of every person in our City.

I have a message for all of our neighbors. You are welcome, valued, and safe. We will use our laws, ordinances, City policies, and every tool at our disposal to protect what makes this place so special and the sanctuary it is for so many. At the same time, we’re not going to be complacent. Local government is more important than ever. The State government is more important than ever. Attorneys General are more important than ever. As a leader, I’m motivated to deliver for the people of Providence and lead by example.

We will continue to address the most pressing challenges in our City, build more homes, and lower prices. We will also continue to provide a safer City and police in a way that increases public safety. We will strengthen the quality of life and invest in climate resiliency despite a change in tone from the federal government.

Let’s not forget that regardless of who’s in the White House, we still have the best federal delegation in the country. A delegation that was decisively reelected last night. Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Congressmen Magaziner and Amo will fight for Rhode Islanders daily to bring back resources and stand up for Rhode Island’s values.

Vice President Harris is a great leader, and she ran a great campaign. She and the millions of Americans who knocked on doors, made phone calls, and contributed in so many ways to her campaign deserve enormous credit for believing in the future of America. A belief that I share and that work’s not over. It’s going to change a little bit. I think most of us feel like today is for grieving, but tomorrow, we get back to work. Despite what happened last night, I still believe in the promise of our country and know that those of us here in Providence can create a safe City, a welcoming City, and can be a beacon for how democratic leadership can provide better solutions to the challenges facing families daily.

Steve Ahlquist: Mayor, you mentioned the word ‘sanctuary,"‘ and you also talked about protecting immigrants in our City. What does that look like? I know what it looked like four years ago. What does it look like now?

Mayor Smiley: The Providence Police are not, should not be, and will not be immigration officers. We know that we have undocumented immigrants in Providence. Regardless of their documentation status, we are proud of our immigrant community, and our policy will remain the same, which we think is thoughtful and compassionate. If you are going about your business, you have no concern that Providence Police or law enforcement, empowered by me at least, will be asking for paperwork or checking immigration status.

If you break the law and find yourself in prison, that information is shared with the immigration service. That was the case before yesterday, which will be the case tomorrow. The Immigration Service then decides whether or not to remove that individual. We intend to continue sharing information about those incarcerated with ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement). But short of that, the Providence Police are not and should not be immigration officers.

Driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants - available from the State of Rhode Island and Municipal ID cards - which we do here in the City of Providence, are ways in which we can better integrate individuals into our community who are here for a better life - working hard every day and trying to do their best to create something better for their children.

Steve Ahlquist: Do you fear possible retribution from the Trump Administration if we become what he will classify as a Sanctuary City?

Mayor Smiley: I don’t know what’s going to come. We’ve lived through this once before, and I guess one benefit of seeing this movie is that it’s important not to. It’s important not to jump to conclusions about the bluster before a policy comes out because many things get said that aren’t followed up. So we’ll take that as it comes. What I won’t do is change my values or our City and Community’s values to adapt to a new Trump Administration. Our values are Providence values, and we will hold firm to those.

Reporter 3: Going back to what you said about immigration, it sounds like you’re against the idea of mass deportations, which has been floated by the Trump [campaign], but you would still let ICE do its job within the City.

Mayor Smiley: First of all, I do not support mass deportation. Second, I don’t run the State jail, but if you are in the custody of the Providence Police (or in State custody at the ACI), that information is available to ICE. It is their decision to get the individual or not. Historically, sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. That’s their decision. Suppose ICE has a known operation in the City. In that case, we don’t interfere with law enforcement actions, just like we wouldn’t interfere with an FBI investigation or some other law enforcement agency - but we are not giving them tips or information about where to find undocumented immigrants in the City of Province.

Reporter 5: It’s fair to say that many people are upset today in Rhode Island. What would you say to people thinking about protesting the presidential election results?

Mayor Smiley: I think it’s okay. In my younger years, I’ve been to a few protests myself, and I think it’s okay for people to feel what they’re feeling. But there does come a time when you want to channel that into something more productive. This is a very emotional time for a lot of people right now. The reason I’m doing this today is that I went to bed last night not feeling great about the outcome - we didn’t know for sure when I went to bed - but when I woke up this morning, I had phone calls and texts from constituents and friends and neighbors who were very upset. Then I came to work and walked around City Hall to talk to our employees. There were some tears in the office. People are, in fact, very upset, and I want to recognize and validate that and make sure that people know it’s okay to feel those feelings, but there will come a time to get back to work. If folks in the Democratic Party feel like they need to protest, as long as they do so peacefully, I say, have at it. But protests alone aren’t going to change policy. It must be backed up with good candidates, policies, and accurate solutions. Here in Providence, we will lead by example in that respect.

Steve Ahlquist: Can I ask about the school committee? Do you have any opening thoughts on how those races went?

Mayor Smiley: I talked to all five new school board members today, and they’re all very excited about their new service. In congratulating them, I also let them know that we will be working with them - before getting them sworn in January - on some essential board developments - bringing them up to speed. They’ve been elected to represent their constituencies and will advocate for what they think is right for those who elected them. But we want to ensure that we start from the same knowledge base.

One of the hardest things in the education space is that it feels like we keep doing the same thing over and over again. In an attempt to not repeat the mistakes of the past or start from scratch yet again, we’re going to be working closely with the new school board to brief them on the turnaround plan, the history of how we got to this point, and bring them up to speed for the important and meaningful pending issues in front of us, and then find a way to move forward. I’m excited for them. They were full of energy and enthusiasm this morning. It’s a new model for Providence Public Schools, and it’s our job to support them in being successful in those new roles.

Reporter 3: What other specific policies of the Trump Administration will directly affect Providence?

Mayor Smiley: There have been some scary things in the public health space. Some of Bobby Kennedy’s proposals, if he found a role in the federal government, would negatively impact the health of our community. The level of investment that we receive from the federal government is meaningful. Whether replacing lead pipes or repairing bridges, hundreds of millions of federal funds are flowing into the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence, improving our residents’ quality of life.

Were those programs to end, or were those programs to be directed in a way that was not fair and equitable? It would have a meaningful impact on our day-to-day life. City government cannot pay to repair a bridge. That must be met with Federal Highway or US DOT (Department of Transportation) dollars. As you know, we are a historic City. We’ve got miles of lead pipe to replace with a national program. We’re making progress - we’re doing better than any other community in Rhode Island. Still, the scale of the problem is so great that a federal program needs to be matched with Federal dollars to solve the housing crisis. Those are the things that I think are most important and at risk.