Trahan holds town hall at Stony Brook School

GRANITEVILLE — Congresswoman Lori Trahan hosted a town hall at Westford’s Stony Brook School on April 2.

The event took place in the school auditorium and lasted almost two hours. The congresswoman and her team shared news updates and other information with attendees, who then had the opportunity to join the discussion and ask questions.

Trahan opened with statements emphasizing how important it is to her to engage with constituents in her home district, highlighting how it means a lot to her to fight for affordability and job security for residents of a community in which she was raised and currently lives.

She then went on to encourage voters to get more involved in local politics, attend “No Kings” rallies protesting President Donald Trump’s administration and to vote in the upcoming election in the fall to help Democrats gain seats in Congress.

“I think about families like the one I grew up in every time I’m walking the halls of Congress,” Trahan said. “Right now, life is becoming unaffordable for way too many people in our country. Whether it’s gas prices, grocery prices, opening up your utility bills – people are stretched thinner and thinner and we can’t just aspire for people making ends meet. We really have to be thinking about how do we set people up to thrive, how can they save for their retirement, how can they set their kids up for a good life, how can they go on vacation.”

Trahan then faced a wide range of questions from residents, with topics spanning foreign policy, healthcare, immigration and the future of the Democratic Party.

A member of the Acton Democratic Town Committee started off the discussion by asking Trahan what Congress can do to stop the ongoing war in Iran, adding that Congress should seek to stop the war not only because the President did not seek authorization from Congress to declare war, but because the war has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Iran as well at least 13 U.S. soldiers.

Trahan voted in favor of initiating the War Powers Resolution last month, aiming to require the president to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran within 30 days, unless Congress formally declares war or issues a specific authorization for the use of military force.

In response to the committee member’s question, Trahan said she plans to vote in favor of initiating the War Powers Resolution again when the next vote is held in an effort to cease the ongoing strikes on Iran.

Another constituent questioned Trahan for accepting money from pro-Israel lobby groups, such as AIPAC, claiming the congresswoman had received $374,000 from AIPAC in the past, noting  that accepting this money would be contradictory to Trahan’s stance against the war in Iran, due to Israel’s support for the war in Iran as well as in Gaza and Lebanon. Trahan disputed the accusation and said she had not accepted money from AIPAC since at least 2019 and that it was a far lesser amount. She also said she was committed to a two-state solution by recognizing both an Israeli and Palestinian state and a lasting ceasefire and commitment to peace in the region.

On domestic issues, some residents pressed for stronger action against the Trump administration from Democrats. One attendee, a Littleton resident, criticized party leadership – specifically calling out House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, calling for his replacement.

Others raised concerns about the influence of money in politics and whether Democrats are presenting a clear alternative to the Trump administration.

Health care and social programs were also major topics. One resident shared concerns about potential Medicaid cuts. He said the program allowed him to receive lifesaving treatment which helped him overcome cancer twice. 

Immigration issues also surfaced during the discussion. A constituent from Haiti told Trahan that she reached out on March 17 about issues getting her husband and mother a visa, but she had not yet heard back. She said she is worried that they will not be able to be issued a visa due to the Trump administration’s decision to fully suspend nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance for Haitian nationals under Presidential Proclamation 10998 in January.

Trahan thanked the woman for mentioning her issue at the town hall and promised that her team would get right to work on it. She said she has been working with congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in an attempt to maintain temporarily protected status for Haitian nationals, due to the ongoing political situation in Haiti.

Immigration has been a major issue that Trahan has been vocal about, especially since federal immigration enforcement crackdown increased in Massachusetts under the Trump administration. 

Last month, Trahan toured the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Burlington on a pre-scheduled, inspectional visit, marking her first visit to the facility since Trump took office for his second term in 2025.

Her visit also took place just weeks after a 14-year-old was detained by federal immigration officials in her district, an incident in which she accused ICE agents of holding her “hostage” in an attempt to target her father for deportation.

Additional questions during the town hall addressed the proposed SAVE Act, media influence and its impact on political division and strategies for engaging younger voters. 

One independent voter also raised concerns about election reform – including ranked-choice voting – and also called for action on artificial intelligence regulation and gun safety.

In concluding the town hall, Trahan thanked her constituents for an opportunity to hear directly from them, answer their questions and address concerns from the community as she continues her work in Washington.

“I’ve spent this past year, working with my colleagues, finding every lever possible to resist the actions of this administration and the minority, to work with our Democratic Attorneys General  to bring court cases, to stop many of these actions through oversight and legislation, making our Republican colleagues take votes they don’t want to take, because they don’t want to be on record supporting tariffs or a war with Iran. I’m going to be straight with you tonight, I mean there’s some things that we’re doing that are working, there’s some things where we know we’re limited and we need those gavels and that makes November so important, but that’s what this is all about.”