ICE is Making Our Communities Less Safe. The MA Legislature Can Take Action.

The tragic murder of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis underscores what has long been clear: ICE agents make communities less safe.

ICE has been terrorizing communities across Massachusetts, breaking up families and breaking the law.

But MA lags behind other blue states in taking meaningful action to rein in police collaboration with ICE and protect immigrant communities.

Beacon Hill could pass legislation RIGHT NOW to change that. That’s why we’ve been working with the Protect Massachusetts Communities coalition to advance legislation based on the following three principles:  

(1) Don’t assist ICE.
Massachusetts law enforcement must never assist ICE in making civil immigration arrests (taking people into custody when no crime has been committed) or ask members of the public about their immigration status.

(2) Don’t turn police into ICE agents.
ICE is pressuring and incentivizing local police departments to sign up for its 287(g) program, which turns street-level officers into ICE agents. They are even offering bounty-style bonuses for police forces that bring in high rates of targeted residents. Massachusetts should prevent this from happening within our borders.

(3) Fund legal help to fight deportations.
Immigrants are five times more likely to win relief from deportation if they have representation, and detained immigrants with an attorney are ten times more likely to win relief than those without.

Key bills before the Legislature can advance these reforms, such as the Safe Communities Act (H.2580/S.1681), the Dignity Not Deportations Act (H.1588/S.1122), and the Immigrant Legal Defense Act (H.1954/S.1127).

Can you take action today by calling or emailing your state legislators about reining in ICE in MA?

And after you do, can you think of a few friends to email as well?

📞📞If you are able to make a phone call, call. Calls have a bigger impact than emails. Find your state legislators’ phone numbers here.

But emailing is also important. ✉✉ Send your state legislators an email here.

Memo to Beacon Hill: Just Say NO to Trump’s Regressive Corporate Tax Cuts

Trump’s corporate tax cuts are going to cost Massachusetts nearly half a billion dollars this year alone — on top of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other federal programs we rely on.

But we don’t have to let this happen. Tell your lawmakers now: reject Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires and protect Massachusetts.

Here’s the context: States use the federal tax code as a starting point to calculate how much people and corporations owe in taxes. Trump’s changes to the federal tax code cut taxes for the rich and large corporations (by more than $3 billion/year in MA alone). So, unless we act now, these cuts will be baked into our state’s tax code, meaning big tax cuts for the rich and large corporations.

Other states across the country have already taken action, but we’re still waiting on Massachusetts.

As we face looming cuts already due to Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, we can’t afford even more cuts to health care, food assistance, education, and other essential public services.

Can you write to your state legislators today?

đŸŽ¶He Knows When You are Sleeping, He Knows When You’re AwakeđŸŽ¶

This holiday season, Santa Claus isn’t the only one who knows when you are sleeping, knows when you’re awake, and knows if you’ve been bad or good.

That’s because large data brokers are able to buy and sell sensitive data from your cell phone, like location data, without your consent.

Let’s do something about it.

Back in September, the Massachusetts Senate passed a robust data privacy bill that would prevent the purchase and sale of such sensitive data, along with other important measures to strengthen privacy rights.

And last month, the House took the first step toward joining the Senate by voting a robust data privacy bill out of committee.

It’s important that momentum doesn’t stall over the holidays.

Big Tech companies like Facebook and Google are going to try to water down the bill, so your legislators need to hear from YOU about the importance of getting strong legislation done early in the new year.

Write to your state rep today!

This Thursday: Stand up and Speak Out for Immigrants in Massachusetts

Immigrants with work authorization, temporary protected status and other legal permissions—including union members—are being threatened and/or detained, along with other Massachusetts residents, in the federal administration’s vicious campaign of mass deportation.

That’s why we’re joining allies across the Commonwealth for a rally and speakout in support of immigrants’ rights this Thursday at 12:30 pm in Boston City Hall Plaza.

Can’t make it? You can still take action.

Last week, the Legislature held hearings on key bills to protect the civil rights and safety of everyone in the Commonwealth. Help build momentum by writing to your legislators in support of the Protecting Massachusetts Communities Coalition’s three priority protections: (1) Don’t collaborate with ICE, (2) Don’t let police be ICE agents, and (3) Fund legal aid.

Email Your Legislators

If you’ve already emailed recently, take a moment to call. Find your legislators’ phone numbers here. In solidarity,

ACTION ALERT: This Thanksgiving and Always, Families Belong Together

This Thanksgiving, families will be gathering across Massachusetts. But at many tables, there will be missing chairs due to the kidnapping of our immigrant friends and neighbors by ICE agents.

Federal immigration agents have been terrorizing communities across Massachusetts in service of Donald Trump’s xenophobic, hateful agenda. Families are torn apart, workplaces stripped of employees, and documented immigrants have feared their status will be revoked. Massachusetts can and must take action to better protect our communities.

Three key pro-immigrants’ rights bills will have hearings tomorrow:

  • Safe Communities Act (H.2580 / S.1681), which would end the voluntary involvement of our public safety officials in civil immigration matters
  • Dignity Not Deportations Act (H.1588 / S.1122), which would prohibit sheriffs from voluntarily renting beds to ICE and ban agreements to deputize state and local law enforcement to ICE
  • Immigrant Legal Defense Act (H.1954 / S.1127), which would ensure that immigrants navigating our complex immigration courts have legal representation and make permanent a recent budgetary appropriation

First, take a moment to email your state rep and state senator in support of these bills:

Email Your Legislators

Second, if you’ve already emailed recently, take a moment to call. Find your legislators’ phone numbers here.

And third, join us at the State House tomorrow for a rally and the hearings for these bills.

Protect Massachusetts Communities | Pre-Hearing Rally
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Massachusetts State House | Room 428

The Dignity Not Deportations bill and the Immigrant Legal Defense Act will have hearings at 10 am in Room A2. Information here.

The Safe Communities Act will have a hearing at 11:30 am in Gardner Auditorium. Information here.

If you are unable to attend in person, you may log into the livestream of the hearing at the Massachusetts Legislature website.

THE FIGHT CONTINUES: Tell the MA House: Don’t Do Trump’s Dirty Work

On Wednesday, the MA House’s Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (TUE) advanced a bill that would gut the state’s commitment to clean energy.

WHAT’S IN THE BILL?

Here’s what the bill does:

  • Rolls back 2030 climate goals rollback
  • Guts Mass Save, removing decarbonization and electrification from its directive, reducing its budget, and adding incentives for gas furnaces back into the bill
  • Reduces the Renewable Portfolio Standard (clean energy requirement) from 3% to 1% growth each year
  • Removes a moderate-income discount electric rate that would save people money
  • Adds ‘cost effectiveness” tests to everything, and removes the social cost of carbon from calculations, putting a finger on the scale against climate solutions
  • Prevents pollution reduction payments (alternative compliance payments) from going to clean energy projects
  • Creates a “pipeline tax” – charging electric customers for gas pipeline supply
  • Repeals a landmark protection from new nuclear power facilities

Despite all of that, the vote was 7-0.

HOW DID THE COMMITTEE VOTE?

The 7 Democrats who voted to roll back our clean energy and energy efficiency commitments were House TUE Chair Mark Cusack (D-Braintree), Vice Chair Michael Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg), Bill MacGregor (D-West Roxbury), Jeff Turco (D-Winthrop), Dave Robertson (D-Tewksbury), Chynah Tyler (D-Roxbury), and Sean Reid (D-Lynn). If your state rep is on that list, make sure they hear your disappointment.

Two Democrats on the committee–Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster) and Rep. Margaret Scarsdale (D-Pepperell)–refused to join the bad policy bandwagon. In State House jargon, they “reserved their rights.” In plain language, they sent a clear message of “I’m not willing to support this bill as written.” If you are in their districts, make sure to thank them.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

We need to redouble our commitment to climate action, not walk it back. And the State House needs to hear that.

Can you let your state rep know it’s time to strengthen, not weaken, our climate commitments?

Take Action: When It Rains, You Use the Rainy Day Fund ☔☔☔

It’s raining! Federal budget cuts are already devastating Massachusetts families, and the worst is yet to come.

This month, more than 1 million Massachusetts residents — overwhelmingly children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans — have faced hunger and fear because of the Trump Administration’s cruel attacks on SNAP benefits during the federal shutdown. More than 337,000 residents are facing skyrocketing health insurance costs due to the loss of federal subsidies beginning in January.

And that’s just the start. Up to 350,000 people in Massachusetts risk losing their Medicaid coverage, and up to 104,000 risk losing access to SNAP food assistance altogether, due to massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in the OBBA tax bill passed this summer. Federal cuts to PreK-12 schools, colleges, and childcare could hurt more than 1 million students. And Massachusetts is set to lose as much as $3.5 billion in annual federal aid once cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are fully phased in — blowing a massive hole in the state budget.

Cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and education threaten all of us, but we are not helpless. We need Beacon Hill to prioritize the people of Massachusetts over multinational corporations’ profits and prevent the worst of these devastating budget cuts.

Join Raise Up this week to take action:

  ☔ RAINY DAY ACTION ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: Please join the Raise Up Massachusetts Coalition for a rally where we ask state legislators to use just 15% (~$1.2B) of the state’s reserve fund (a.k.a. the ‘Rainy Day Fund’) to offset devastating federal cuts to SNAP, education, and healthcare. RSVP HERE PLEASE.

PHONE BANK ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: Can’t join us on Thursday in person? We got you covered! Join us to for a phone bank to help drive calls and emails to legislators to pass Corporate Fair Share and use the Rainy Day Fund! RSVP HERE PLEASE.

CLICK TO EMAIL ACTION TO LEGISLATORS: Got some extra time before and after the Thursday actions? Take 2 minutes to email the Governor and your legislators in support of Corporate Fair Share and using the Rainy Day fund here. In solidarity,

Tell Your State Rep: Don’t Cave on Climate Action

Tuesday’s election had inspiring results in Massachusetts and across the country. In election after election, we saw that voters want their elected officials to stand up to the chaos, cruelty, and corruption of the Trump administration. Voters want elected officials who fight, not back down.

That memo needs to get to Beacon Hill.

On Friday, the Massachusetts House Energy Chair, Rep. MarkCusack (D-Braintree), told Commonwealth Beacon that he is considering repealing our critical state commitments to climate pollution reductions in an upcoming energy bill.

This is unacceptable and dangerous, especially as we see the Trump administration sabotage any recent federal progress on climate action. State leadership is even more important than it was before.

We need to redouble our commitment to climate action, not walk it back. And the State House needs to hear that.

Can you let your state rep know it’s time to strengthen, not weaken, our climate commitments?

Tomorrow Is Election Day. You Should Be Able to Register to Vote Then.

Tomorrow is Election Day. 55 cities and towns across Massachusetts will be holding elections, and if you’re in one of them, you’ll be well aware that in the last week, especially the last few days, the election has become more visible.

Canvassers, lit, mailers, news coverage–the list goes on. But at this exact point when attention and visibility rise, our voter registration cutoff limits who can participate.

Our democracy is strongest when everyone can participate, but MA still puts up unnecessary barriers to participation with a 10-day voter registration cutoff. Given that the average American moves more than 11 times over the course of their lives, moving near Election Day could easily lead to disenfranchisement.

Even worse, if clerical errors exist on the voter rolls, voters can fill out a provisional ballot are left unsure if their vote will be counted. No one should ever lose basic rights due to clerical errors.

Same Day Registration can fix all of that, and MA should join our neighboring states in passing it. If Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut can all do it, why can’t we?

Can you let your legislators know it’s time to pass Same Day Registration?

The Scariest Part of Any Horror Movie Is Inaction 🎃🎃

Witches, vampires, ghosts–they are all scary in movies. But the threats faced in real life are much scarier.

🎃Threats to Health Care and Food Assistance: Massachusetts faces deep cuts in health care access, food assistance, and more due to the Big Ugly Bill passed this summer, and we face looming cuts to SNAP given President Trump’s illegal decision not to spend emergency resources. Massachusetts has a higher GDP than Sweden: we are a rich state with ample resources, and we should be raising new revenue and tapping into our flush rainy day fund. (When it’s raining, you take out the umbrella.)

🎃Threats to Privacy Rights:As Big Tech behemoths like Facebook and Google become accomplices to Trumpist authoritarianism, we need to rein in their ability to buy and sell our personal data in an unregulated market place. The State Senate took action last month, but the House needs to as well. And the clock is ticking.

But we can prevent these frights with good policy.

When you watch a horror film, you know that one of the scariest things can be inaction. That sense that the outcomes were not inevitable at all, that opportunities were missed, that voices were unheeded, all of them empowering whatever villains lurk.

We have seen far too much inaction from Beacon Hill this year.

On the last day of the 10th month, only 49 bills have been signed into law. Of those 49, 21 were home rule petitions for one city or town, 13 were personnel matters about individual people, and 8 were budgets and supplemental budgets.

Let’s change the ending of this scary movie.

Email Your State Senator

Email Your State Rep