The annual state budget is the lifeline for state and local programs and services that benefit all communities—including our Commonwealth’s many immigrant communities.
Unlike other bills, passage of an annual budget is mandated by our state constitution. Each year the two chambers must negotiate and pass a final budget bill by early July. First the House, then the Senate, must debate and decide on their own proposed budgets in April and May, respectively.
Budget season has now begun in earnest, with the House set to release its proposed FY27 budget in two short weeks.
This year, MIRA is advocating increased funding for two existing state programs that help protect immigrants from deportation. This is where you come in!
Click here to email your representatives!
Right now, your state representatives are making their budget priorities known to House leadership in hopes of securing funding for them. Urge your state legislator TODAY to prioritize MIRA’s funding requests!
We are seeking $15M for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), a new state program that provides free legal defense for Massachusetts immigrants at imminent risk of deportation who can’t afford an attorney, and $2M for the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP), which funds community-based citizenship programs across the state—U.S. citizenship still being the strongest protection against deportation.
Both programs are at capacity right now, with demand outstripping capacity. Massachusetts saw a 366% increase in immigration arrests in 2025. MACI has received over 6,000 requests for representation since its launch last November, and CNAP providers saw a 30% increase in demand for citizenship application legal and other services since Trump took office.
Access to existing legal protections against deportation should not depend on income. Please take action today!
Next steps in the budget process: The week of April 13, House Ways and Means will release its proposed budget. State Representatives will then have an opportunity to sponsor (and cosponsor) proposed amendments to the budget. This will give us a second chance to increase funding amounts if needed—by mobilizing your support for one or more amendments! At the end of April, the proposed amendments will be debated and voted for inclusion (or not) in the final House budget.
In May, this process will be repeated in the Senate, with a final Senate budget to emerge at the end of May. The two chambers will then name a conference committee to reconcile the two budgets, and the final negotiated budget will then be voted by each chamber and sent to the Governor for signature.The Governor has 10 days to approve, amend, or veto the budget. A ⅔ vote in both chambers can override a Governor’s veto.
For more detail on the budget timeline, see this helpful guide by the Mass Budget and Policy Policy Center.