May 20, 2026 Assembly of Delegates Regular Meeting

The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates held a regular meeting on May 20, 2026, which included extensive public hearings and discussions primarily focused on proposed ordinance 2026-11 concerning community safety and lawful federal immigration enforcement. The ordinance aims to restrict ICE activities on county property, requiring judicial warrants for arrests, protecting personal information, and preventing county employee involvement in federal immigration enforcement. The assembly heard passionate testimony from numerous community members both supporting and opposing the ordinance, highlighting concerns about immigrant rights, public safety, and due process. The Board of Regional Commissioners reported having already issued an executive order limiting ICE activities on county property, but acknowledged the ordinance would provide more durable protections. After debate, the assembly voted to postpone the ordinance to allow further consultation with the county administrator and to await the outcome of related state legislation. Additionally, the assembly discussed and adopted a resolution amending the assembly manual regarding the moment of silence in meetings, and postponed action on a proposed ordinance establishing a power outage resiliency fund pending further inquiry and scheduling of hearings with utility representatives. No contract awards or procurement decisions were made during this meeting, but the immigration enforcement ordinance and power outage fund ordinance represent potential future procurement and policy actions.