Statement from Newport Mayor Jan Kaplan following Nov. 12 Newport City Council Special Meeting

“On behalf of Newport City Council, I want to begin by acknowledging the deep concern, frustration, and fear many in our community expressed regarding reports of a potential ICE facility being considered for Newport. We have heard your voices through conversations, emails, phone calls and at our Special Meeting, and our community can be assured that we share your commitment to ensuring that Newport remains a place that reflects our values of inclusion, compassion, and respect for all who live and visit here.

We recognize that even the possibility of such a facility being erected here has caused understandable alarm. I want to make it absolutely clear that City staff is working alongside our legislative leaders at local, state, and federal levels to explore every available legal and municipal avenue to oppose the siting of an ICE facility in Newport.

Newport is a city built on trust, diverse cultures, and shared responsibility. We will work together, thoughtfully, transparently, and within the bounds of the law to protect those values.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out, spoken up, and stood together for the kind of community we believe in. Your voices and resolve guide our path forward.”

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