The MA House Held “Listening Sessions” This Week. Did Your Rep Speak Up?

This week, MA House Democratic Leadership held a series of listening sessions to learn about what rank-and-file members want to do about ICE and about protecting our immigrant communities in Massachusetts.

The fact that these listening sessions are happening is an indicator that your calls and emails are breaking through: they know they need to do something.

But here’s a question: if they were listening, who was talking?

Was your state rep speaking up and advocating for policy that meets the moment? The only way to know is to ask.

Feel free to use our writing tool or find your state rep’s phone number and email and reach out with a simple script:

“I was glad to hear that the MA House held listening sessions this week about action to take to rein in ICE and protect our communities. It is important in Massachusetts that we prevent state and local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE or being deputized as ICE agents. What priorities did you bring up in the listening sessions this week, and how are you working with colleagues to turn them into law?”

Email Your State Rep

Other states are taking action. Just yesterday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill to prohibit state and local governments from entering into agreements to detain individuals for civil immigration violations, stop the use of public land for immigration detention, and ban 287(g) agreements that turn local law enforcement into immigration agents. MA should be leading, not playing catch-up.

PM in the News: “After months of escalation, Healey took action to counter ICE. Fellow Democrats ask: Is it enough?”

Samantha Gross and Matt Stout, “After months of escalation, Healey took action to counter ICE. Fellow Democrats ask: Is it enough?,” Boston Globe, February 3, 2026.

Jonathan Cohn, policy director at the advocacy group Progressive Mass., said Healey admittedly can’t stop ICE operations here, but questioned whether the state is using its “full power” to push back.

“Putting garlic on your door to ward off a vampire is good,” he said, “but what happens if it doesn’t work?”

Tell Gov. Healey: De-ICE Massachusetts

Last week, Gov. Healey held a press conference focused on a new executive order and new proposed legislation aimed at ICE. But here’s a problem: she reaffirmed her commitment to continued collaboration with ICE.

MA is the only state in New England with a collaboration agreement, known as 287(g), between the state’s Department of Correction and ICE and the only New England Democratic governor to have any collaboration agreement at all.

Massachusetts should not be making ICE’s job easier. End stop.

Email Gov. Healey and tell her it’s time to end the contract with ICE.

NYT: “ICE Is Watching You”

In an excellent op-ed this morning, NYT opinion writer Tressie McMillan Cottom explains how ICE is building a massive surveillance apparatus through buying up our data (“ICE Is Watching You“):

“The federal government may have abdicated its responsibility to protect our civil liberties by regulating who can use our data and to what ends. Some states are stepping in, creating their own data privacy laws. But there is still much more to be done, in state legislatures and in Congress. And it all starts with the American people understanding that our freedoms are now bound up in who controls our data.

End the spectacle of vicarious violence. Abolish ICE.

But to end the structure of violence that has ensnared our civil liberties, we will also have to finally, finally turn our attention to who is controlling the damn phones.“

That’s why we are so committed to passing strong data privacy legislation this session.

The MA Senate passed a bill in September, and the House is likely to vote on its own bill soon.

Big Tech companies like Facebook and Google have been lobbying to water it down so that they can keep profiting off our data. Your state rep needs to hear from you that you want a bill with robust protection and robust enforcement.

Email Your State Rep

What if you have already emailed your state rep? Here’s what you can do next:

  • Call your state rep. You can find their number here. Here’s a quick message: “Can I count on the Rep to talk to House Leadership about passing a strong data privacy bill that bans the sale of sensitive data and has clear, robust enforcement mechanisms?” If you want a specific bill number, you can mention the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act (H.4746).
  • Email five friends. Do you know other friends in your own state rep district or on the other side of the Commonwealth? Ask them to take action too.

PM in the News: “Mass. Sierra Club takes unprecedented step to call for removal of House energy chair”

Jordan Wollman, “Mass. Sierra Club takes unprecedented step to call for removal of House energy chair,” CommonWealth Beacon, January 27, 2026.

Not everyone agrees that Sierra Club’s move has drawbacks. Jonathan Cohn, policy director at the advocacy group Progressive Mass, said it’s clear from Cusack’s November version of the energy affordability bill that he isn’t taking his cues from groups like Sierra Club anyway.

“From the universe of not wanting to deny yourself access, if you never had access to begin with, there’s at least not as much in the way of real loss,” Cohn said. “And evaluating how back in November environmental groups across the state were able to rally members and make enough representatives scared to vote yes on his bill, it showed that power lies in that ability to have an organized and mobilized grassroots base. Trying to defeat that bill on the basis of only talking to the highest people in the building was not going to be a viable strategy.”

THURSDAY at the State House: Declaration of Independence from ICE

As ICE agents shoot, kill, and execute people in Minnesota, the people in Massachusetts stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota:ICE out of Minnesota, ICE out of MA, and ICE out from all of our communities.

Join Indivisible Mass Coalition, Progressive Mass, ACLU-MA, MIRA, Brazilian Center, and Field First this Thursday, January 29 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the MA State House to talk with your legislators and demand action now.

RSVP here.

You can also join a prep webinar tomorrow, Wednesday January 28 at 7:00 pm to get talking points to help facilitate a productive conversation with your legislator.

Register for the webinar here.

Can’t join in person? You can still take action.

PM in the News: “‘No doubt it may get worse before it gets better’ — Breaking down the 2026 State of the Commonwealth.”

Commonwealth Beacon Staff, “‘No doubt it may get worse before it gets better’ — Breaking down the 2026 State of the Commonwealth.,” CommonWealth Beacon, January 26, 2026.

Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, said after the speech that “the governor offered nothing. Let’s be clear: reining in ICE violence is a kitchen table [matter], as there is no such thing as affordability when families are being broken apart and workers are being kidnapped on the way to work.”

Response to Governor Healey’s 2026 State of the Commonwealth Address

Although Governor Healey’s State of the Commonwealth began with sharp criticisms of President Trump, she failed to demonstrate that MA will be a true bulwark against his harmful policy agenda. 

It’s deeply disappointing that Governor Healey offers nothing of substance in how to protect our immigrant communities in Massachusetts from ongoing ICE terrorism and Trump’s un-American, xenophobic agenda. Last year, she offered Marcelo Gomes da Silva a rosary; perhaps it should be no surprise that all she offers here is thoughts and prayers.

Activists have been fighting for years for bills like the Safe Communities Act and Dignity Not Deportations Act to end formal and informal collaboration with ICE. New legislation has been filed to protect court houses and to impose penalties on ICE agents from wearing masks. The Governor offered nothing. Let’s be clear: reining in ICE violence is a kitchen table, as there is no such thing as affordability when families are being broken apart and workers are being kidnapped on the way to work.

In a recent speech, Senator Elizabeth Warren underscored that the major fight within the Democratic Party is whether Democrats will be with billionaires or with the rest of us and whether Democrats will fight entrenched corporate interests and reduce inequality. To that question of “Which side are you?,” Governor Healey doesn’t provide a clear answer. 

An archaic “all of the above” energy strategy locks in fossil fuel infrastructure for decades to come, lining CEO pockets and keeping energy bills high. 

A “Health Care Affordability Working Group” filled with industry insiders is like asking the foxes how to keep the henhouse safe. 

Successful policies she rightfully touts, like free community college, universal school meals, and greater investment in the MBTA, all resulted from voters answering Warren’s question: we said yes to taxing the rich and investing in all of us with the Fair Share Amendment. 

As Massachusetts faces the threat of devastating budget cuts because of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, Healey offers no insight into how or whether she intends to fight back. The Fair Share fight showed us how. 

New initiatives like preventing medical debt from being reported to credit agencies (Even better would be abolishing the idea of medical debt with a single payer health care system) or adopting click-to-cancel policies are good, common-sense steps, but Healey failed to offer a bold vision for a Commonwealth that works for all.