Trapped in the System: ICE Check-ins Become Catch-22 for Immigrants
BY SARAH BETANCOURT
BOSTON – Margarita fled Honduras for the United States in 2014, leaving behind gender-based violence from an uncle who stalked her and threatened her physically.
“I was afraid of what he would do to me, and my daughters,” she said. Margarita asked to only use her first name for this story out of fear of repercussions in Honduras.
Since arriving in Boston, she’s had a U.S.born daughter, now nine, and spends her time working in food preparation and as a janitor in local restaurants. What should be a safe haven for her has become an unsteady reality under the second Trump administration, which is actively searching for immigrants to detain and deport as a part of mass deportation policies.
Margarita reports to U.S.
check-ins, a regular occurrence for immigrants across the country. For years, immigrants in removal proceedings have had to check in with ICE at least once per year— if they don’t attend, a warrant for their arrest can be issued, and ICE can proceed with deportation.
In March, Margarita went to a check-in and had an electronic monitor attached to her ankle for GPS monitoring—despite having never committed any criminal offense, she said.
Margarita tried to gain asylum many years ago, but had the case denied, and was only told by her former immigration lawyer more than six months after the denial—which meant she couldn’t appeal. Since then, she’s been in removal proceedings, but hasn’t been given a specific date to self-deport.
With news of community members being detained and deported and her future check-ins looming before her, she is fearful.
“I’m scared because the problems that I came here with still exist in Honduras,” she said. “Here with my two jobs, I pay for my rent, what we need, food—we don’t
have a lot, but we have what is necessary.”
When she goes to the appointments, Margarita said she takes several buses to Burlington, traveling almost two hours each way. She waits in a room, often bringing her youngest daughter out of fear of separation, and signs a piece of paper saying she has been compliant by physically presenting herself at the Burlington, MA Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office. The appointments often mean missing full days of work, since she doesn’t know how long she will be there for.
Patricia Montes is the executive director of Centro Presente, a nonprofit immigrant rights organization that has been supporting Margarita. The group’s members have gone to her ICE check-ins, reached out to elected leaders about her case, and are seeking to meet with Governor Maura Healey about Margarita’s case and others like it.
“She’s going to be in a country that is dangerous for women and girls, you know? Honduras has one of the highest levels of femicides,” said Montes.
Margarita is not alone in her apprehension of going to a check-in. While Centro Presente has long advised its members to go to their check-ins and be compliant with the law, the group is aware of the increased difficulty of the current situation.
“Because of this political environment, a lot of our clients, women and girls—they are afraid to go to court, they’re afraid to go to the ICE check-ins because they fear that they are going to be detained,” said Montes.
Montes recounted one specific instance this winter when a Salvadoran mother with a nine-year-old went to an ICE check-in in Burlington. She was detained the same day and deported the next day to El Salvador.
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back on the concerns of its ICE agents detaining people at check-in appointments “ICE’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) exists to ensure compliance with release conditions. All illegal aliens are afforded due process,” a DHS spokesperson wrote in a message. The unnamed spokesperson said those who are arrested have “executable final orders of removal by an immigration judge,” and will not have complied with self-deportation.
“If you are in the country illegally and a judge has ordered you to be removed, that is precisely what will happen,” the statement continued. DHS claims that under the Biden administration, thousands of undocumented immigrants, including “violent criminals with final orders of removal were on ATD and allowed to roam our communities.” ISAP is part of ICE’s “ATD” program, which refers to its “Alternatives to Detention” programs— which use tracking technologies such as the ankle monitor that Margarita has to wear.
Montes said her organization has fielded many calls and messages from immigrant single mothers who have no criminal records, who are worried about being deported, and have US citizen children, like Margarita. Continues on page 2.
Ruby Garcia: p.2,7
Akbota Saudabayeva: p.3 Adrian Alvarez: p.6,8
TRAPPED IN THE SYSTEM
Continued from page 1.
“They are terrified. The main concern is family separation. They are afraid to go back to their countries, countries where they don’t feel safe, and they are also afraid to leave their kids,” Montes said. Most, she said, would prefer to be deported with their children, afraid of the current laws in the state around guardianship of a suddenly unaccompanied minor.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s office said it has been in touch with Centro Presente and “expressed [its] support for Margarita’s case.”
“The Congresswoman consistently affirms that our constituents and immigrant families across the nation should be granted due process, a fundamental legal right and ICE’s enforcement tactics are nothing short of terrorizing,” said a spokesperson for the Congresswoman.
With so many immigration policies coming out of the White House directly impacting women and children, Montes said she wants to see the governor take a stand.
“We don’t have a governor having meetings with a lot of people from the community—particularly women and girls,” she said. “There is not an immigration policy at the state level that is protected, that has a gender-focused point of view and a gender-justice view.”
Adam Bejtlich volunteers with the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network and recently started accompanying immigrants to their appointments.
Not long ago, he brought a male individual to the office 30 minutes before his checkin. They went in together, but it became obvious quickly that Bejtlich couldn’t stay since he isn’t an attorney. “There was a small waiting room. And there were signs on the walls in various languages, basically making it pretty clear that I was not allowed to stay,” he said, mentioning that he couldn’t even park in the parking lot.
Bejtlich said the man had an ankle monitor despite a judge having previously said GPS monitoring wouldn’t be required. Although he doesn’t speak a lot of Spanish, meaning he and the man couldn’t communicate much, they established a connection.
“I’m just a guy who wants to help people when they’re scared because, you know, this isn’t something that people used to be scared about,” Bejtlich added.
He said another individual he’s accompanying to a check-in is “definitely afraid” and not certain of whether they will be detained for potential deportation that day.
According to NPR, the number of people that ICE agents must detain in their regions has increased recently, jumping from around 1,000 immigrants per day to 3,000 per day.
“I think all that really matters is the fear. The randomness, right? It’s like—putting a quota on it just means … it’s just another way to scare people,” Bejtlich said. “My main motivation is [that] the dehumanization of others has got to stop. We’ve got to start caring about each other.”
Margarita said she has organized her guardianship of her daughter in the event that they have to self-deport, and that she would buy the tickets herself. She said she doesn’t want to be arrested and detained the way she has seen other people in the news get treated—she wants the autonomy to go with her daughter.
She’s hoping her effort to stay in the US will be successful because she’s been here a decade. In some states like New York, if an undocumented immigrant in deportation proceedings proves they’ve been in the US for ten years, with no criminal issues, and their deportation would cause extreme hardship to a US citizen, there’s a possibility of staying.
“My daughter, when she found out what was going on, she cried—she got really depressed, she didn’t want to go to school, she said she didn’t want to go,” said Margarita. She told her daughter that the matter is “in God’s hands” now.
This article was originally published in June 2025 on HorizonMass and is syndicated by the MassWire news service of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.
Read more stories at HorizonMass.news.
MASS EYE AND EAR
Limited Press of A Long Play
With the advent of the internet, digital music, and millions of hours of unheard music being available at the touch of our fingertips, it’s easy to forget how important multi-artist compilation records were once to music fans. My youthful musical development wouldn’t have been the same without such important hardcore compilations such as P.E.A.C.E., Not So Quiet on the Western Front, and This is Boston Not LA, and many others. Compilations offered music fans a way to go deeper into genres they were interested in, or in the many cases of geographically compilations, learn more about a local scene. In the pre-internet age, local scene compilations were invaluable to figuring out what was going on with underground music in various towns and cities.
Though they are released with much less frequency than they once were, local scene compilations have never entirely gone away, and when smartly compiled, they can still be a great way to find out about local scenes. A few great examples of recent regional compilations are the Big, Big Wave LP of bands from the unlikely punk hot spot of Hattiesburg, Mississippi; the Zarata Erosa compilation cassette which cast light on hardcore from Basque Country in 2022; and the This is Copenhagen compilation was a neat sum-up of punk and post punk in Copenhagen, Denmark from 2009 to 2019.
All of this brings us to Spooky Tree Record’s Mass Eye and Ear LP, a compilation of music from our beloved state of Massachusetts. With ex-members of legendary Mass bands such as Mission of Burma, Come, Neptune, and such long-running legends at Major Stars and Sunburned Hand of the Man, this record sets expectations high before you even listen to it.
Side A begins with Roger Miller’s Trinary System’s great angular post-punk track and then transitions into Major Stars’ explosive psych rock featuring exceptional guitar work from Wayne Rogers, Tom Leonard, and Kate Village. Next up is Garrison Fortress that puts us into K Records singer-songwriter territory and does a good job at it. Land Evacuation is Dan Boucher of Neptune who provides a spooky drone track. Bastion Void, aka Joe Bastardo, who also did the album artwork, provides a warm slice of upbeat electronica. New Bedford’s PicnicLunch’s lurching slow motion punk sounds great here, and it segues nicely into the harsh noise of Hurry Scurry, which closes out Side A.
Side B starts with the wonderful E featuring the great vocals and guitar work of Thalia Zedek. Next up is Sunburned Hand of the Man in spoken word ambient mode. Great track. Bob Gratis provides a spare singer/ songwriter offering, with just his voice and acoustic guitar. Next up is Don’t Ever Lie To Anyone, which is Jordyn Bonds, formerly of Big Bear and Brutal Love Masters with a great track that features her voice, a steady rock beat, and really active guitar work. Side B closes out with three fantastic bubbling electronic noise tracks from Northpoletapes, Umbrellamouth, and the always great Cryptwarbler.
Mass Eye and Ear is only on vinyl and not streaming. Get off the internet and join the analog world and the way that us old people once found out about music. You are sure to find a musician or band who will blow your mind and also may be right in your backyard here. You’ll thank me later!
MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE
Premo.Dee Floats on “Push”
It doesn’t always require a long runtime for a song to make a lasting impact. In fact, some of history’s greatest songs to ever be released fell under the two-minute mark. In recent years, this trend has become fruitful. Whether the result of our eroded attention spans, a higher state of efficiency from contemporary artists, or just an overall heightened appreciation for quality over quantity, studies show that song length has trended downward in the 21st century. While dedicated music enthusiasts and audiophiles alike may view this pattern as the inevitable beginning of the end, not everyone shares the same sentiment. I’m definitely in support, with some of my favorite tracks in recent years including Frank Ocean’s “Good Guy,” mk.gee’s “DNM,” and MIKE’s “Snake Charm.”
Premo.Dee’s recent release is a prime example of what a great “short” song can be. Resting at just north of a minute and half in length, “Push” marks a prominent return for the Brockton native, with this single being his first release in more than a full calendar year. The direct follow-up to his 2024 EP [momentum] before mo-
tion* which consisted of similarly mellow, relaxed, and dulcet sounds, “Push” is a compelling earworm that exemplifies Premo.Dee’s artistic capabilities. Beginning with a melancholy rendition of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s iconic line from their single “The Message,” Premo proceeds to float like a cloud. His effervescence comes effortlessly, with his sonics being reminiscent of the bluish-gray wisps that emanate from Nag Champa incense.
Despite the quality his discography has shown for years now, there’s something that feels special about “Push.” Is it Premo. Dee’s natural demeanor? Is it his impeccable taste for instrumentals? Could it even be the song’s summer-drenched visual? Perhaps it’s all of the above. One thing is for sure though, and it’s that Premo.Dee’s raps are aging like fine wine. There’s no better time than now to become acquainted with his catalog of music if this is your first time hearing of him. With the summer heating up, who knows what else could be coming our way from the Brockton talent.
HOUSING HELL
Getting Real about Renting in Boston
If you live in Boston, I don’t need to tell you how notoriously frustrating the rental market is. In my personal experience, rental advertisements and leasing are rarely handled by the owner, but rather by their broker; photos online often don’t reflect the actual unit available; and brokers almost always require a fee equal to one month’s rent with an application. The game is often ruthless and rarely forgiving.
As a 25-year-old woman renter, I’ve received comments from brokers like, “That’s it?” when I tell them I work in research and, “I get it, you girls want adult living,” when I raised concerns about prevalent mold in a bathroom and kitchen. Most absurdly, I was dismissed by a broker who informed me that “with [my] budget, a unit that has windows in every bedroom is an impossible ask.”
“That’s an illegal apartment,” Demetrios Salpoglou asserted upon hearing my story. Salpoglou is the CEO of Boston Pads, an information and technology services company that publishes insightful Boston rental market data and trends. He has watched the market for over 20 years and knows the Boston rental rhythm like a pedestrian knows when the streetlights change.
An impossible ask, he joked, is to answer the question, “When is the right time to look for a rental in Boston?” Depending on the desired neighborhood and lifestyle of the tenant, the ideal time to apartment hunt could range from one month to one year in advance.
Salpoglou developed a formula to generally predict when Boston rentals will appear on the market: the Real-Time Availability Rate (RTAR). This rate reflects the number of vacant apartments combined with the number of apartments that will become available in the near future. Consistently, the RTAR peaks around 4-5% availability in March and April and bottoms out near 1-2% in November.
Boston Pads keeps eyes on the average Boston rental prices as well. Their numbers show that price growth decelerated slightly last year for studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments, while prices for four- and five-bedroom
WILLIE BURNLEY JR. FOR MAYOR A Sit-Down with a
There was a time when millennials and adjacent generations were criticized for being politically asleep. We were. Mentally, I’m still wasting my youth waiting tables at an Americana restaurant under the tranquility of the Obama era. Investing major energy or stress into the federal government—let alone local government—felt unnecessary. It was the introduction of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in 2016 that snowballed my political interests from ignorance to focus and news addiction. Now trapped in a Trump/Netanyahu nightmare, keeping minute-by-minute tabs on our government seems like a prerequisite to survival. I’m so neck-deep in this shit, I’m writing columns advocating for mayoral candidates in a free community newspaper. Come on down, Willie Burnley Jr. for Mayor of Somerville!
Somervillian
DJ: Artists provide entertainment, help shape culture, and enhance communities, but the surging Somerville rent prices are making it impossible for artists to live here. What will you do to make Somerville affordable for the Somervillian artists?
apartments continued to surge. According to the Boston Globe, 46% of Boston renters are cost-burdened by their housing, and increasing rental prices will only push that statistic higher.
Broker fees are an expensive and prevalent gripe of the Boston rental game. I asked Salpoglou for his opinion on the New York City Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses act, a new law that prohibits renter-paid broker fees, and what it would mean if Boston lawmakers followed suit, especially after Governor Maura Healey included a similar proposal in her 2026 budget.
“It’s a gimmick! It’s attention grabbing but not solving the problem,” said Salpoglou.
Since the FARE act was instituted on June 11, Secret NYC reported that the median rent prices for New York City listings have jumped 15%. Landlords effortlessly redirected the cost of broker fees back to the tenant. While I’d like to see tighter policies in Boston that would prevent this bypass, Salpoglou maintains that this would happen anywhere there is a deficit of housing.
“[Boston] needs to get serious about supply,” advised Salpoglou. He fervently cites the skyrocketing costs of labor, materials, and construction, declining housing permits, and zoning problems as key contributors to Boston’s shortage of rental units, and in turn, the competitive and expensive rental market.
If you are looking for a rental starting September 1, you’re in good company. The “Boston Housing, Rooms, Apartments, and Sublets” group on Facebook reaches 280,000 members, and on this sweltering June afternoon alone, 48 have posted seeking an apartment, a room, or a roommate. If you take anything from this article, know that you aren’t crazy (housing is getting more expensive), you aren’t alone (70% of Boston leases start on September 1), and that you aren’t a bad person if you’re struggling to find an apartment (the Boston rental market is broken in a complicated and messy way).
My name is David “Biff” Jubinsky. I’m part of Battlemode, a Boston-based chiptune trio (we make music using Game Boys). I live and work in Somerville. Despite the unacceptable rents, the Davis Square public safety concerns, and the rats, I love this city. The longer I invest my life and work into Somerville, the more I realize that this place is a true testament to the First Amendment. For a shot to the heart of the whole “freedom of speech and expression” adrenaline, head to The Jungle in Union Square on an open mic night—it’s a beautiful thing.
Our thriving arts community depends on America’s foundational freedom, but this freedom is under attack in our own backyard. On March 25, Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk was seized and detained by the federal government over views published in a college newspaper op-ed. With exception of Councilor At Large Willie Burnley Jr. and Councilor Jefferson Thomas Scott’s vote to file a ballot initiative to divest Somerville funds from companies doing business with Israel, Somerville’s leadership response was unimpressive. Somerville needs a mayor who will uphold our values while actively defending our community from the fascists at the door.
To promote awareness of Willie’s mayoral campaign and offer more opportunities for constituents to hear about Willie’s vision for Somerville, Battlemode is organizing and hosting a series of art-related shows in July. The shows will feature all Somerville artists at Somerville venues. Visit us at Out Of The Blue Too Gallery on July 20 for a screening of The Encampments and on July 27 for Willie Fest II, a night of local music, at The Rockwell.
In a sit-down interview with Councilor Burnley, I asked him four questions on his arts vision for Somerville.
David Jubinsky (DJ): Artists depend on freedom of speech and expression to create. These freedoms have recently been under threat (i.e. the Rumeysa Öztürk abduction). As Mayor, what will you do to protect our freedoms and push back on fascism?
Willie Burnley Jr. (WBJ): As a writer and a longtime community organizer, freedom of expression has been central to my approach to creating change. I have marched in the streets, I have put my body on the line and been arrested during sit-ins, and I have chased neo-Nazis out of Boston. When I am mayor, artists and activists alike will have a friend in the executive office. I will use my position to consistently signal that fascism and hate have no place in Somerville. I will ensure that protests are not cracked down upon and, if need be, I will stand with those who take to the streets to add an additional layer of protection to them.
WBJ: I understand the fear and anxiety that rising rents are causing across our city because I have lived it. Several years ago, I was priced out of Somerville when my landlord raised my rent by hundreds of dollars. As the only renter running to be mayor, I will fight to put the necessary resources in place to create housing security for all residents, including artists. One way that I plan to do that is by creating an Office of Social Housing, which would study legal and economic pathways to build permanently affordable housing on municipally-owned land. Like so many residents, I agree that we need to build more housing, and I believe that the City needs to play more of a role in the housing space. Frankly, I don’t believe the market, which created the housing insecurity that we all live with, will solve this problem on its own or without being made to by the government. Additionally, I have pushed for half of the money from a community impact fee on Airbnbs in our City—approximately $200,000 annually—to be allocated to grants for local artists and performances. We can ensure that more money stays in our community.
DJ: Somerville needs its artists and we need venues to showcase our artists! In recent years, Somerville has lost staple live music venues like ONCE and Thunder Road. We’re under threat of losing even more venues due to economic pressures. What will you do to protect our venues from shuttering?
WBJ: As a councilor, in the wake of the pandemic, I’ve seen the City work to effectively subsidize local businesses and dedicate staff time to meeting the needs of small business owners. As Mayor, I will dedicate that same effort to nurturing our arts ecosystem by hiring a liaison for arts venues and artists and by ensuring that the City uses funds to book events at local venues.
DJ: How can we use the arts to assist on other issues affecting the city? Issues like pest control, drug addiction, worker protection, crumbling schools, and other aspects that impact the quality of life for all who reside here.
WBJ: As I mentioned, I want to ensure that public funds are allocated to local artists for the public good. Art can create healing, a sense of community, belonging, and safety. With the additional $200,000 I’m proposing to spend to boost our arts ecosystem, we can create murals around the City that make our public spaces more welcoming, we can partner with organizations such as Shelter Music Boston that use the power of music to support the mental health of our unhoused neighbors, and we can act upon the research that shows that art on our streets can enhance safety as a means of traffic calming.
Learn more about Willie Burnley Jr. and his platform at: https://www.willieforsomerville.com/.
All eligible Somerville voters can vote for Willie in the Preliminary Election on September 16. Register to vote at: https:// www.somervillema.gov/registertovote.
--------------------------------- DAVID JUBINSKY
7/16 Dog Day Afternoon (1973)
Summer's sweltering heat is the third character in this thrilling bank heist, based on a true NYC story, starring Pacino and the great John Cazale @ Coolidge Corner Theater 7pm-10pm $17
7/17 Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos (2024) A new doc on the NYC hardcore legend and Cro-Mags founder @ Somerville Theatre 7:30pm-10:30pm $16
community
6/29-7/6 Boston Black Pride
A series of events produced by Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation. More details at lesbigayurbanfoundation.org/ boston-events @boston_urban_pride
7/5 Baila Boston! Free Salsa Night In partnership with our community curator Ágora Cultural Architects, UnCommon presents Salsa Nights ft. Hernan Choque of beloved Salsa studio Salsa y Control, a live Salsa led by Manolo Mairena, free community Salsa dance lessons, professional performances, and open dance.
@ Uncommon Stage 6pm-9pm
All Ages FREE
7/5 SILK: All R&B Experience
ft DJ ReaL P, Baby Indiglo, and special guest SAVVV (Toronto)
@ Big Night Live 9:30pm 21+
$40 @djrealp
7/6 Both Kinds Country Music
DJ Night BCN Founder Sam
P aka DJ Groan Man serves up country jams on a lowkey Sunday afternoon vibe. Come hungry!
Best dressed gets a free LP!
@ State Park Bar 3pm-6pm All Ages FREE @sampotrykus
7/6 DJ-Estive B2B2B DJ Set
ft Linda Honey, $tonefruit, Knina @ State Park Bar 8pm 21+ FREE
7/6 Summer Music in Chinatown ft. Contempo Band, sponsored by Chinatown Merchant Association @ Chinatown Gate Park 1pm-4pm All Ages FREE
7/7 Tiny Oak Booking presents: Professor A, Upaharaka, Painchain, Animal Hospital, Unsheathed Glory, SOSO Gutter @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $10 @painchain @tinyoakbooking
7/7 Nonevent presents: Joseph Allred, Ben Hersey, Liam Grant @ Goethe-Institut Boston 8pm All Ages $15 @noneventseries
7/8 Lifeguard, Parking, Lost Film @ Deep Cuts Deli 8pm 18+ $15
7/9 Fully Celebrated Orchestra, Clear Audience, Andy California @ 8pm 21+ $10
7/10 POWERPOP A one-hour hybrid drag-concert-musical featuring songs by Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Renee Rapp.
It’s a queer love story told through sapphic pop anthems from the last five years—with projected karaoke-style singalong sections and chaotic multimedia moments including Powerpuff Girls clips.
@ Midway Cafe 6:30pm-8pm 21+ $10
7/10 Authenticity: An RnB Lovers Dream DJ Alcide's weekly DJ Night at Fete on Kingston. Every Thursday Night! @ Fete 9pm FREE @alcidemusicgroup
7/10 Four Piece Suit and Steven Cerrato @ The Square Root Cafe 8pm-11pm 21+ $10
7/11 Neptune, Landowner, Germ House @ Deep Cuts Deli 8pm 18+ $12adv/$15dos
7/12 4th Wall and Allston Pudding Present: Astral Bitch, A Monolithic Dome, and Warmachine @ The Capitol Theatre 9pm 18+ $10
7/13 Ashland Library Young Artists Comics Fest Celebrate comics and graphic novels with local creators exhibiting alongside Young Artists ages 8-18 who are making their own comics! @ Ashland Public Library 10am-5pm All Ages
7/13 Reggae Brunch ft. the Dis and Dat band @ Boston Ale House 11am-2pm
7/15 Freedom Sounds: Tim Hall A live music series ft feature professor, poet and saxophonist, Tim Hall @ Just Book-ish 6:30pm-8pm All Ages
7/16 Jazz with Hellbender @ The Square Root Cafe 7:30pm-10pm 21+ FREE
7/17 Warmachine, Plant Fight, Little Miss Echo @ Deep Cuts Deli 8pm 18+ $10
7/17 Queeraoke The ORIGINAL Queer Karaoke Night and one of the longest running queer nights in New England (15+ years strong!) @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $8
7/18 FRCKLS & Friends Tour 2025 @ Lilypad 7pm-10pm All Ages $10
7/24 Ryan Cassata, Evan Greer, Molly O'Leary, Justin Arena @ Midway Cafe 6pm-8pm 21+ $10 @thatevangreer
7/26 4th Wall Presents: Fielded, Barchana, TOBY w/ visuals by Junk Drawer @ Capitol Theatre 9pm 18+ $10
video & film
7/1-29 Kaidan Kimodameshi Film Series The Japanese enjoy scary ghost stories in the summer—to chill their bones in the heat. All 5 Japanese films featured are worth escaping the heat for, including Ugetsu (1953) on 7/1, Kuroneko (1968) on 7/8, Demon Pond (1979) on 7/15, Ringu (1998) on 7/22, and The Grudge (2004) on 7/29 @ Coolidge Corner Theater 7pm $17
7/2-30 Summer Camp Film Series Head to Davis Sq to get schooled this summer on classic camp cinema over the decades. Highlights include Mommie Dearest (1981) on 7/2, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) on 7/16 and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) on 7/30 @ Somerville Theatre $16
7/4 In The Mood For Love (25th Anniversary Edition) Wong Kar Wai's sexy and subtle cinematic masterpiece gets a 25th Anniversary re-release including a previously unseen chapter from the director. @ Coolidge Corner Theater 7pm $17
7/5 South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Mothers Against Canada present an audio/visual celebration, with a Pre Show chiptune set by Battlemode. Join for a Double Feature 360 degree projection post show by Danny Aye, paired with a dance music set by Wubson, and a popup arcade by Super Party Bros @ The Capitol Theatre 8pm 18+ $25
7/7 The Great Remakes Film Series Mondays this summer you can check out these double features of originals films screening with their worthy, and sometimes even better, remakes. Highlights include The Fly (1958 + 1986) on 7/14, The Parent Trap (1961 + 1998) on 7/27, and The Departed (2006) with Infernal Affairs (2002) on 7/28 @ Somerville Theatre $16 single feature/$18 double feature
7/15 Altmania: A Robert Altman Centennial Head to Harvard Sq, Mondays and Tuesdays this summer and catch the career of America's king of casual conversations Highlights this month include McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971) on 7/28 and a double feature of The Long Goodbye (1973) and California Split (1974) on 7/29 @ Brattle Theater $15 single feature/$19 double feature
7/25 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The legendary comedy troupe at their best. Required viewing! @ Brattle Theater $15
7/31 Women in the Waves Film Series This Agnès Varda double feature with Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) and Le Bonheur (1965) kicks off this incredible series of masterpieces from female filmmakers within the European New Wave scenes. @ Brattle Theater $15 single feature/$19 double feature
theatre & performance art
7/4 Red, White, And Brit - A Britney Spears Drag Show Celebrating Britney as an artist, an icon, and as a symbol for independence @ Midway Cafe 10pm 21+ $10
7/8 The Inkwell Open Mic Two songs or eight minutes, whatever comes first. Originals only. @ Midway Cafe 8:30pm 21+ FREE
7/18 Boston's Monthly Bad-ass Burlesque Punk Rock Dance Party The Bloodstains and a bunch of hot babes invite you to join us for an evening of studded leathers, ostrich feathers, and everything in between. @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $10
7/18 JustBe(Loved) Poetry Slam & Open Mic ft. Arianna Monet (she/they) a queer Black poet and strawberry ice cream enthusiast from eastern Massachusetts @ Just Book-ish 6pm-10pm All Ages
7/21 Midsummer Night Poetry
Reading + Open Mic Hosted by Kristin Kelley with Maureen McElroy, Aidan Parkinson, and Jake Tringali @ The Square Root Cafe 7:30pm-10:30pm 21+ FREE
7/22 The Moth Boston StorySLAM: Denial Five-minute stories about willful ignorance. Tales of white lies, skimming the truth, or finally getting the courage to approach that person and getting a flat out “no.” @ Arts at the Armory 6:30pm9:30pm $15
7/28 Burlesque of a Madman Host Jaggs Ramone is bringing an
7/4 Cabo Verdean Independence Festival A day filled with vibrant cultural performances, delicious food, and festivities to honor Cabo Verdean heritage and independence. @ Boston City Hall Plaza 3pm-7pm All Ages FREE
7/5 Gerly's Ice Cream Making Workshop Learn how to make ice cream the real way. In today’s world of artificial flavors and mystery ingredients, this hands-on class brings it back to basics— using fresh, real ingredients to create ice cream from scratch. @ The Foundry 1pm-3pm All Ages $65.87
7/5 Lilypad Art Jam!
A community space for artmaking and open jamming! Come on in, grab a drink, doodle or play an instrument just because you want to! @ Lilypad 2pm-6pm All Ages $5-$20 Suggested
7/10 + 7/24 The Brighton Bazaar Summer Series Over 100 small businesses are popping up to sell art, vinyl, vintage, & more! @ Charles River Speedway 5pm All Ages FREE @ thebrightonbazaar
7/11 ART N TACOS: Art Show & Taco Party has been a staple in the ATL & MIA for years featuring over 50+ artists, tons of tacos, live music/dj , and good vibes! Now the vibes are coming to BOSTON and over 25+ cities around the USA for the summer! Location TBD! Follow @artxtacos for more info @ 7:30pm $10-$50
7/11 Boston JerkFest Caribbean Foodie Festival Come celebrate the 12th annual festival, a mouthwatering celebration of Caribbean flavors! @ McCurdy Outdoor Track 6pm All Ages $45
7/12 Boston Little Saigon
Night Market An outdoor street festival ft. a diverse line-up of entertainment, games and activities for all ages, a beer garden, Instagram worthy photo opportunities, and street food including chicken wings, skewers, crawfish, and more! @ Fields Corner, Dorchester Avenue between Gibson Street and Adams Street, Including Town Field Park @ 4pm-9:30pm All Ages FREE @bostonlittlesaigon
7/14 Trivia with Ticco and Matt @ The Square Root Cafe 21+ FREE
7/18 Somerville Art Fair Studio Showcase ft. Maggie Cedarstrom & Larisa Ovalles @ Bow Market 7pm-9pm All Ages FREE
7/18 DroneArt Show: A Music Concert and Drone Show Classical music and modern drone technology come together in one mesmerizing experience @ Ohiri Field 8pm $39-$99
7/19 Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción presents Festival Betances: Our Music, Our History, Our Community A celebration of Latino culture with salsa legends, food trucks, arts, dancing, and more! @ Plaza Betances 1pm-9pm All Ages FREE
7/20 One Boston, Many Stories Festival Join all the Boston Cultural Districts for a day filled with diverse cultural experiences, live performances, art exhibitions, and delicious food. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Boston’s history and heritage through interactive activities and engaging storytelling sessions.
@ Boston City Hall Plaza 12pm5pm All Ages FREE
7/22 Boston Indies: Lightning Talks! A series of ~10 minute talks on a variety of game development related topics given by the Boston Indies community!
@ Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch 7pm-9pm FREE
7/25 Small Mart Night Market
Shop vintage, vinyl & art from local vendors! ft. DJ Studebaker Hawk, drinks, & good vibes @ Crystal Ballroom 5pm-10pm FREE
7/26 Boston Puerto Rican Festival Come immerse yourself in our rich Puerto Rican culture and enjoy music performances, delicious Puerto Rican food from several vendors, carnival rides, local arts & crafts, and more!
@ Franklin Park Playstead 12pm All Ages FREE
7/26 JP Historical Society presents: Walking Tour of Green St Laid out in 1836, the street played a key role in Jamaica Plain’s development, functioning as a residential, commercial, and transportation conduit in the lives of the district’s residents @ First Baptist Church Jamaica Plain 11am-12pm FREE
8/10-8/17 15th Annual
African Festival of Boston
A vibrant week-long Cultural Heritage Celebration and a flagship program of the Shalupe Community Alliance. Ft. live music, traditional dance, food, fashion, storytelling, youth programming, and more. Follow @africanfestivalboston to learn more and apply to vend! @ Boston Common 10am-8pm
advocacy
7/19 2025 Trans Resistance
MA Festival Trans Resistance is a community of black and brown trans people and cis allies coming together to address injustice and demand change. @ Harambee Park 12pm-5pm
7/25 Critical Mass Boston Meet up with this group every last Friday of the month at Copley 7pm for a social activist bike ride! Route changes every month. Check @criticalmassboston for info @ All Ages FREE
Reclaim Roxbury A community organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic wealth for Roxbury residents by preventing displacement and supporting economic development. Learn more at reclaimroxbury.org
Boston Liberation Center Open
Hours The BLC is a socialist, working class community center located right tin the heart of Roxbury. Stop by to learn more about the work of the center and talk with the organizers, browse the community library, get some work done or just hang out! Tues & Thurs 4-8pm, Fri 1-6pm, Saturdays 10-4pm.
Know Your Rights: What to Do if You Are Arrested or Detained by Immigration This resource provides general information on what to do if you or someone you know is stopped, arrested, or detained by immigration or other law enforcement. Visit www.nilc.org/resources for more information.
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition MTPC works to ensure the wellbeing, safety, and lived equity of all trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive community members in Massachusetts. Visit masstpc.org for more information.
opportunity
7/6 Intro to Sewing Machine Workshop A hands-on, in-person, and beginner-friendly sewing machine class presented by Rework Studio & Shop–make a unique upcycled denim bag and bring it home! @ Innovate@BU 12pm-3pm $70
By 7/11 Block Party 2025 Summer Grant Mayor Wu and the Office of Civic Organizing are offering grants of up to $750 to residents, neighbors and community groups who want to build community by hosting a block party on their street. Visit boston.gov/departments/ transportation/how-host-blockparty for more information.
By 7/31 Open Doors Production Residency at Croma Space
In collab w/ the Arts Action Consortium, Ágora Cultural Architects presents a residency designed to support performing artists in presenting new or existing work to Boston’s audiences, providing essential resources such as: venue space and technical, production and marketing support.
Intersectional Environmentalist is looking for Artivists! to spotlight lessons + learnings of impactful eco-focused artists on the East Coast. Get Involved by joining their Substack at intersectionalenvironmentalist. com. Woo!
MEET THE ARTIST: Sadie Parrotta
Sadie Parrotta is a digital illustrator, writer, and art framer who enjoys loud music, Marlboro menthols, lesbian takeovers at dive bars, and making art on company time. Originally from the Pioneer Valley, they've been moving and shaking in the Greater Boston area for nearly seven years. They work digitally with a Wacom Intuos 4 tablet and Paint Tool SAI, which is the exact same setup they started with when they began making art on the computer at 11. To quote Parrotta on what fuels the tank of their creative engine: "I like it. It's fun!"
Find them online at @sadie_parrotta on Instagram and sadieparrotta. com. Find them in-person by pure chance.
After finishing this month's issue, visit patreon.com/ DogCoughComics for their ongoing collection of Boston comics!
Jazz Rat by Kieran Teare-Thomas
Anxomnia by Jared Kellogg
Local Lore: A Brighton Confessional by Jillian D. King
@jilliandking
@britdeart
Closing Shift by Brit Parry
Friendly Fella by Austin Ickes
@sticky ickies
MEET YOUR MAKERS
Hey! My name is Jared Kellogg. I am a Massachusetts-based illustrator and cartoonist with a passion for the horrific, surreal, and fantastical elements of creative art forms across painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, comics, filmmaking, and video games. I grew up on the edge of the woods in a town called Whately, daydreaming of immersive worlds I could escape to, monsters that could provide catharsis for a worried mind, and stories that engage with the sensitivities of existence while providing a safe space to explore abstract feelings.
I received an associate’s degree in interdisciplinary arts from Greenfield Community College before venturing out to Boston to complete a bachelor of fine art’s degree in Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art, with narrative-focused
creative aspirations. To date, I’ve self-published a handful of comics collected in an anthology titled Poems for the Wandering Soul, as well as a short horror comic “Three.” I have also found myself drawn to freelance projects which offer opportunities to explore a multitude of artistic styles and mediums including cover art, comic collaborations, illustrations, and much more.
Currently, I am beginning work on a previously shelved horror-fantasy comic with aspirations to distribute the aforementioned self-published works more widely through digital and physical forms. Follow me on Instagram at jkellogg.art and feel free to check out some of my other work through the link in my bio! Thanks for taking the time to view my work and read a small bit about me!
Growing up in an artistic household, I developed an early obsession with art and stories that became a lifelong passion. Growing up dyslexic, comics and graphic novels were a way for me to experience stories when traditional novels were inaccessible. I have been combining drawing and storytelling since preschool but adopted a more traditional comics format during high school. Creating comics remained a hobby, and I chose to pursue this artform professionally after graduating from art school.
I received my bachelor of fine art’s degree from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2021 where I explored many different types of media including ceramics, printmaking, digital illustration, and design. While I majored in ceramics, my focus shifted to illustration when the pandemic prevented students from having access to the ceramics studios. While my shorter works span a variety of genres and themes, I have found my call-
ing as a queer and trans author writing graphic novels with LGBTQ+ and mental health themes for young adults. By creating work that celebrates trans and queer people, I hope to make members of the LGBTQ+ community feel seen, as well as to foster understanding and allyship for those outside of the LGBTQ+ community. As this kind of work faces bans, censorship, and even attempts at criminalization, telling these stories is more important now than ever.
ran Teare-Thom
My self-published works are sold in fourteen stores across the U.S. and Australia, and I received an honorable mention in the Kids Comics Unite 2023 Pitchfest competition. I have also taught comics and cartooning for the Summer Arts program at the Cambridge School of Weston, and given presentations at Mass Art and the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo. I am represented by Kate Rogers at KO Media Management. To find out more about my work, visit linktr.ee/ teare.thomas.arts.
WRITE FOR THE BOSTON COMPASS
The Boston Compass is seeking timely articles related to local arts and culture events in the Boston area. These pieces could be a review of a local film festival, a write-up of a local artist’s new EP, an initiative that your local organization is excited about, a creative nonfiction piece about your favorite local venue, etc. Ideal pieces will cover events happening in the month of or prior
Have an idea? Send a pitch by scanning the QR code and fill out the form! Some elements you should include in your pitch: the specific event you plan to attend, context for the clueless reader, who you will interview, and why you think this article is worthwhile. The earlier you pitch, the better.
If you need to bounce a couple ideas off of Akbota, the editor-in-chief, that is also welcome! Due to current staff capacity, inquiries that come to the editor’s inbox without set ideas often go unanswered. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out past issues and comb through our happenings spread.
The content deadline for articles is usually around the 20th of the month, and pieces are generally 400-600 words in length (though there is flexibility on the latter side of that spectrum). Contributors must also submit 2-3 high-contrast photos for the layout. We pay $50 per article.
Good luck! I'm sure you'll come up with something cool.
AKBOTA SAUDABAYEVA Editor-in-Chief of the Boston Compass
I'm Austin “Sticky” Ickes, an illustrator and cartoonist based in Boston. My work emphasizes character, communication, and clean lines. I'm particularly drawn to depicting city life and all the mischief and miscellany encountered therein. I’ve self-published all kinds of books, like All You Can Eat, Pink World, The Smiling City, and my sketch book zine, Xerox Suicide. I went to art school, but then some kind of plague happened and well… you know the rest!
Since then I’ve become an active member of the Xomik Buk Comics Collective and have helped to edit and publish a number of anthologies.
A lot of my best work happens in my sketchbook, so you can always catch me drawing as I move around the city! You can find my work on Instagram at @sticky_ickes or on my website: austinickes.com.
Austin Ickes
Hi, I’m Brit! I am a multimedia artist, born and raised in Boston. As a first-generation Caribbean American, my work focuses on found family, community, nostalgia and being a little silly. Growing up, I rarely saw my identity or my culture represented in the media, especially in comics. As I’ve gotten older, and especially with the boom of indie comics, Black artists like myself have been given a place to represent ourselves and our unique stories. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done and many unrepresented artists of color who deserve their own spotlight. In the U.S., as we live through the unraveling of basic human rights and freedoms and witness the dismantling of life-changing resources and programs, it is imperative now more than ever that
we represent the voices of those being silenced the most.
I graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2021 with some fellow Boston Compass artists. Influenced by my day job working at an elementary school, most of my commercial work has been geared towards children. Since 2022, I have illustrated four children’s books for a local children’s musician, which have been featured in local newspapers and bookstores. I was commissioned to create a mural, with the help from a fellow Boston artist, for the Ellis Early Learning Center. Outside of freelancing and comics, I’ve dabbled in ceramics, crocheting, and tattoos. You can see more of my artistic journey on my Instagram at @britdeart. I hope you see something you like!
I’m Jillian (they/she), a queer cartoonist and design strategist based in Boston. My comics explore how physical form and emotional texture shape storytelling, blending daily life and narrative vulnerability with a sense of play. By day, I work in service design, using storyboards, illustrations, and animation to help clients—from Fortune 100 companies to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—imagine better futures. A graduate of MassArt’s Industrial Design BFA, I bring that same systems-thinking approach to comics, building meaning in unusual forms.
I’m deeply invested in community, within comics, the arts, and beyond.
I co-host a monthly Drink & Doodle series, host zine workshops, and recently collaborated with the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, to develop an interactive comic that
invites new audiences to create comics. I’m also part of a close cohort of cartoonists from Tillie Walden’s summer workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies, many of whom I still collaborate with today. Outside of comics, I’m committed to creating spaces for belonging: dreaming up public art projects, serving on the Friends board of my local library, and organizing neighborhood potlucks— often as a cover for testing out weird ice cream flavors (spicy ramen, anyone?). This series explores local icons, urban legends, and everyday oddities in and around Boston. Have something you think deserves the spotlight? I’d love to hear about it, and maybe turn it into a comic. Submit your stories or learn more about my work here: https://linktr.ee/jilliandking.
Jillian D King
Brit Parry
Jared Kellogg