WENDELL — Residents voiced concerns about recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehensions and deportations, and support for a Medicare-for-All system and land conservation, during a town hall-style meeting with the Democrat representing the 7th Hampden District on Monday afternoon.

Aaron Saunders had intended to visit the Wendell Free Library’s Herrick Room in person, but a scheduling conflict in Boston resulted in him attending the meeting via Zoom. He fielded questions from a small collection of residents, most of whom are members of Indivisible West Quabbin, a local chapter of a national organization that advocates for legislation and leadership that support human rights, education, environmental protections and other democratic principles.

When asked why he hadn’t co-sponsored certain bills in the state Legislature, Saunders noted there are ways to address problems without one particular piece of legislation.

“I find, more often than not, in the conversations with my colleagues and advocates, that the exchange of how we do it tends to lead to the most fruitful outcome,” he said.

He mentioned the recently passed House budget proposal of $61.5 billion for fiscal year 2026 speaks to legislators’ commitment to funding for public education and school transportation.

“The budget is the proof in the pudding,” he said.

Resident Court Dorsey focused on recent ICE apprehensions and deportations.

“We have all been appalled by the escalated persecution of immigrants in the commonwealth in recent months. The news is full of reports of reckless, illegal, warrantless arrests of immigrants, including people with lawful visas and green cards and other authorizations to be in the country,” he read from a statement, specifically mentioning the mother and teenage daughter who were taken from their family in Worcester. “And even U.S. citizens getting swept up in these Gestapo-style detentions and disappearances.

“Innocent, law-abiding immigrants — many of whom came to the U.S. to escape persecution and find a better life for themselves — are being terrorized. And this is not what democracy looks like,” Dorsey continued. “Immigrants play vital roles in our communities. They support our economy and are part of the fabric of our lives.”

Dorsey said Massachusetts needs “to use all of the tools within its toolbox” to stop what is happening.

“We are facing unprecedented challenges with the Trump administration, from a complete lawlessness when it comes to the approach ICE has taken to disappearing our community members from the streets, at best arbitrarily and at worst targeting folks for exercising free speech,” Saunders said regarding the recent ICE activity. “We need to be smart about how we address this, from a state perspective. And, as an individual representative, where there are three members who represent all of Franklin County and a House of Representatives that has six times that that represent the city of Boston alone, I also have to be cognizant and deliberate about how I’m spending my time and efforts advocating on behalf on the very local and urgent needs that the 45,000 folks in the 7th Hampden District are counting on me to advocate for.”

Laurel Facey, a member of the Wendell State Forest Alliance environmental advocacy group and the No Assault & Batteries citizens group that formed in opposition to a battery storage proposal, advocated for three bills that aim to update century-old public land policies and designate thousands of acres for permanent conservation.

Jane Lynch-Gilbert, a state Senate district coordinator for the Massachusetts Teachers Association, urged Saunders to co-sponsor bills that would help reform the education system. One of those bills, H.691, is known as “An act relative to the long-term fiscal health and sustainability of special education in the commonwealth.” Another bill pertains to the sustained future of rural schools. Lynch-Gilber said five of the seven towns Saunders represents are rural.

Christine Benvenuto advocated for a Medicare-for-All system. She said 98% of Massachusetts households would pay less for health care than they do currently and Shutesbury, where she lives, would have saved $236,000 in 2023. She said 41% of Massachusetts families struggle to pay health care costs.

“Meanwhile, health care is rapidly eating an unsustainable percentage of our state and city budgets — 36% of our state budget goes to pay for health care. Attempts to control costs within the private insurance system have largely failed,” she said. “The urgency for a state single-payer system has never been greater. We can’t afford to wait for our health care system to collapse to move forward with a solution. We need Massachusetts to step up to the plate and create a health care safety net.”

Miriam DeFant noted that the Affordable Care Act allows states to adopt a single-payer system, and she said studies have shown there would be savings across the state.

“Top line: I support Medicare for All,” Saunders said regarding health care in Massachusetts. “Medicare is a federal program. It has its bumps and warts, but as far as health care in the United States goes, it is the gold standard. And it concerns me greatly when I have conversations with constituents and they aren’t familiar with [Medicare for All].”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.