EAST LONGMEADOW – Residents across the Commonwealth are receiving similar flyers in their mail from Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, claiming that their local State Representatives are supporting legislation that would make their individual towns Sanctuary States. Most recently, State Rep. Brian Ashe was targeted by Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance’s flyers, which were sent out to all of Ashe’s constituents’ homes. Ashe states, however, the groups focus is on propaganda — not the facts.

For those who may not have opened their mail or received the flyer, on one side it features a large, green roadway sign that reads, “East Longmeadow welcomes illegal immigrants.”

After turning the page, the flyer states, “This is not an exit in East Longmeadow yet, but it could be. East Longmeadow’s own State Representative Brian Ashe leads the charge to make Massachusetts a Sanctuary State. Representative Ashe joined other Beacon Hill politicians to co-sponsor a bill to make Massachusetts a Sanctuary State. (H.3269).”

The flyer continues to quote Federation of American Immigration Reform by saying, “Illegal immigration costs Massachusetts taxpayers $1.8 billion annually.”

It then continues to urge residents to call Ashe and “demand he withdraw his support for this legislation!”

When Reminder Publications spoke with Ashe, he explained the bill he co-sponsored himself.

“It doesn’t allow for local and state police to detain undocumented immigrants. Part of the reason [he supported the bill] is that the supreme judicial court ruled that it was illegal. It has nothing to do with making Massachusetts a Sanctuary State, or any of the towns or cities that they [Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance] allude to,” Ashe explained.

Additionally, Ashe noted the Bill doesn’t allow inmates to be sent to build the wall.

“For me, regardless of any of the moral or immoral parts of it, this is about upholding the law. The inmates, that’s just a liability nightmare and it didn’t make sense,” Ashe said.

He chuckled, “They [Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance] also said, which I’m really surprised, is how I’m ‘leading the charge.’ I said ‘Wow, I’ve never spoken about it, I’ve never written anything about it, I’ve never testified about it, and I’m leading the charge? That’s pretty amazing, and each other Rep. is leading the charge too.’”

According to Ashe, the flyer that was sent to each of his constituents with his name and information on was sent to residents of the Commonwealth all over the state, and referenced between 30 and 40 different State Representatives.

Over the summer, Ashe noted, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance created a similar flyer claiming that Ashe voted for a 40 percent pay raise for himself and required it be an emergency vote.

“All of this stuff was completely false. Legally, we can’t even vote for pay raises for ourselves, nor did I get a pay raise. But, if you read it, you think oh my god, these guys are money grubbing Reps. or Senators, look what they’re doing. They [Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance] mislead, they misrepresent a little bit of truth, and then they use shock and hope people buy it,” Ashe said.

Hundreds of phone calls have been made by concerned constituents to Ashe’s office in an effort to understand what the flyer was referencing.

“Anyone that called and left me a message I’ve called back, and every single one of them, after I explained it to them and explained what this group was and what this was all about, and what the bill really is and what it isn’t, they understood it. The ones that were very angry calmed right down and appreciated the call and appreciated the fact that I gave them the truth about it,” he explained.

The quote in the flyer by the Federation of American Immigration Reform, Ashe said, isn’t reputable either.

“They’re a hate group in America. They’re not even referencing a reputable group, they’ve been put on a hate group list. I think if anybody does any research you’re quick to see that this isn’t an unbiased group, they’re extremely biased,” he continued. “They get millions of dollars from all over the country, but because they’re listed that they’re unbiased and they’re just supposed to be putting out their message, they’re really not, they target just democrats. They’re a tea-party Republican group.”

Ashe urges any residents with further questions or concerns to call his office or email him, and he would be happy to speak with them.

“They should know that sadly groups like this put out propaganda to try to confuse the general public and try to feed them information so they’re making uninformed decisions, I just ask them that they do a little research or ask more questions and I’d be more than happy to share the truth with them,” he said.

To reach Ashe’s office at the State House call 617-722-2430 or email him at Brian.Ashe@mahouse.gov.