BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate today passed its version of the PROTECT Act, advancing critical legislation to safeguard civil rights and limit state and local collaboration with federal immigration enforcement.
The PROTECT Act (S. 3072), would establish clear, statewide standards governing interactions between local authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill aims to protect due process, strengthen public safety, and ensure that all residents — regardless of immigration status — can access public institutions without fear.
Key provisions of the legislation include limits on local cooperation with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, a requirement for judicial warrants for courthouse arrests, a ban on new 287(g) agreements, and protections for individuals in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, courthouses and places of worship.
“For more than a year, we have consistently seen ongoing attacks on immigrants and threats to their constitutional rights, which only make our communities less safe. We are deeply grateful to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for their leadership in drafting the PROTECT Act and for laying the foundation for this critical moment,” said Maroni Minter, Political Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. “We are pleased and encouraged by today’s powerful action by the state Senate, which builds on that leadership and furthers efforts by Massachusetts lawmakers to establish meaningful protections against the violent and unlawful actions taken by ICE in our communities.”
“Combined with the ban on new 287 (g) agreements, the broad protections passed by the State Senate take a major step forward in declaring that Massachusetts wants no part of the Trump administration’s indiscriminate and hateful assault on immigrants of all statuses,” said Protecting Massachusetts Communities co-chair Lenita Reason, Executive Director of the Brazilian Worker Center. ”We thank the State Senate for not only passing but strengthening the House version, so that all Massachusetts residents can access crucial public sites like schools and courts without worrying about whether the sound of their voice, the manner of their dress, or the color of their skin puts them at risk.”
The legislation is a response to growing concerns that federal immigration enforcement has created fear in communities, discouraging victims and witnesses from engaging with the legal system. By establishing clear protections, the PROTECT Act seeks to build trust between communities and public institutions.
“Public education is the foundation of our democracy, and our schools must be safe, welcoming places for every child — no exceptions,” said Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Deb McCarthy Vice President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “The Senate’s passage of the PROTECT Act is a critical step toward ensuring that immigrant students and their families can learn, grow and participate fully in their communities without fear. When students feel safe, they can thrive — and that benefits all of us.”
“The PROTECT Act sets out important protections to defend due process, protect our immigrant neighbors, and improve public safety for all people across the Commonwealth. It sends a clear message that ICE’s brutality will not be tolerated in Massachusetts,” said Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. “We appreciate the Senate’s hard work on this issue and look forward to seeing the PROTECT Act signed into law.”
“As more families are pushed into crisis, detention, or deportation by the Trump administration, 1199ers applaud the Massachusetts Senate in passing the PROTECT Act that will help keep our communities safer” said Cari Medina, 1199SEIU executive vice president. “The PROTECT Act will also help protect our healthcare system, ensuring immigrant caregivers remain in the jobs they love, and patients can access care without fear. Massachusetts elected officials must continue to utilize every tactic to ensure immigrants can thrive in the place they call home.”
“A majority of our 20,000 union members in Massachusetts are immigrants,” said 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice-President Kevin Brown. “Together with over a million other integral and interwoven members of our Massachusetts communities who were born in other countries, those union members will surely breathe easier knowing that the State Senate has stood up against warrantless ICE activities in schools, court houses, and other important public areas in Massachusetts. The bill’s banning of new 287 (g) agreements also sends a strong message that local law enforcement agencies should take no part in the brutal excesses of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. We offer our deepest thanks to the Senators who helped strengthen and pass this crucial legislation and look forward to its swift passage into law.”
The Protecting Massachusetts Communities Coalition thanks Senate President Karen Spilka, the Senate Steering and Policy Committee chaired by Sen. Cindy Friedman, Senator Pavel Payano, the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and members of the Senate who have thoughtfully engaged with stakeholders for months to develop the legislation.
The coalition urges the House and Senate to swiftly proceed to conference committee and deliver the strongest possible protections to Gov. Maura Healey to sign into law.
Protecting Massachusetts Communities (PMC) Coalition works to advance legislation and policy to protect immigrants. PMC is chaired by the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition and the Brazilian Workers Center, and includes the ACLU of Massachusetts, SEIU State Council, SEIU 32BJ, 1199 SEIU, SEIU 509, Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA).
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