Facing calls from the public to address fear surrounding immigration enforcement, the Erie Town Council on Tuesday evening heard Mayor Andrew Moore read a proclamation saying all residents “deserve to feel safe.”

The proclamation, backed by the council, in part, “affirms that all residents, regardless of background, language, or immigration status, deserve to feel safe accessing schools, parks, public services, and community spaces.”

It also states that the Erie Police Department and town leadership “do not engage in civil immigration enforcement activities” and affirms “the town’s commitment to: acknowledging the fear expressed by families in the community regarding immigration-related activity; promoting safety, stability and access to public services for all residents; communicating transparently about policies and practices that support community trust; and upholding the constitutional rights of every person living in Erie.”

The full proclamation, in English and Spanish, is available on the town’s website at tinyurl.com/ErieProclamation.

Calls for an ICE-related proclamation have been made repeatedly during this year’s council meetings, with one public speaker telling council members on Feb. 24: “I am asking you to break the silence to acknowledge publicly that residents are experiencing real and valid fears related to ICE activity.”

The proclamation, titled “Public Safety for All Residents of the Town of Erie,” was sponsored by Moore and the Erie Town Council, according to Erie’s online meeting information center.

At the Erie State of the Town event in early April, one speaker asked that a proclamation from the council be considered “a safety proclamation, and not an inclusivity proclamation.”

“Do you understand it is a safety thing? I’m here speaking for people who are afraid to come out in public,” added the speaker.

During the same event, Moore said there have been “no ICE operations in Erie that we are aware of.”

Erie police do not participate in or assist with civil immigration enforcement and do not share information with ICE regarding “our criminal investigations,” according to Moore, though he added, “at the same time, we cannot interfere with ICE operations in town should they ever take place.”

Erie Police Chief Lee Mathis said anyone with immigration enforcement concerns should speak with his department.

“Anyone who is concerned about the police department’s involvement with ICE, or our cooperation with ICE, or operations of ICE in Erie — please come visit with myself or my deputy chief,” Mathis said at the State of the Town event. “We will answer all the questions we can. We are very transparent about what goes on in town and what we do and don’t do.”

The public can reach a non-emergency line for Erie police at 303-441-4444.

The Erie Town Council can make proclamations to support “a variety of causes, highlight important people, celebrate major achievements, and spotlight historic events,” according to the town’s website, which lists proclamations approved by the council so far this year.