Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Honorary Members of the Conference Committee:
Thank you for your dedication to advancing pro-immigrant legislation through the Massachusetts legislature this session. We are grateful to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and to the leadership of both chambers, for shepherding this important legislation.
Progressive Massachusetts is a statewide, multi-issue grassroots advocacy organization, with chapters across the Commonwealth, committed to fighting for a more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic Commonwealth. We write to convey our strong support for the PROTECT Act, which includes many urgently needed protections for immigrant communities.
First, we strongly support the inclusion of protections for inmates and detained immigrants, such as access to phone calls and notice of rights. We are also grateful for the protections for schools, health facilities, and places of worship, which are sensitive locations that are crucial for our communities.
We respectfully urge the conference committee to include the following provisions in the final bill:
1. A ban on new 287(g) agreements, without exceptions. A clean ban would build community trust by reassuring immigrants that state and local law enforcement will never be enlisted to help the federal government’s mass deportation agenda, and it would be in line with similar laws in ten other states.
2. Clear limits on collaboration and communication with ICE. We strongly support the provisions in both House and Senate bills that prohibit the use of state or local resources for immigration enforcement and the initiation of communications with ICE. Specifying what conduct is prohibited–such as actively participating in immigration enforcement; interrogating and investigating individuals on behalf of ICE; and holding individuals on ICE detainers (codification of the Lunn decision)–would eliminate confusion and ensure uniform interpretation across the state. In addition, while both the House and Senate bills prohibit law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE, we urge you to include procedural safeguards around this communication to prevent fishing expeditions.
3. Ending courthouse arrests. We strongly support a ban on civil arrests in courthouses, the location of over 600 ICE arrests in 2025. In order to be effective, the ban should extend to the courthouse grounds as well as the courthouse interior;otherwise, ICE will simply wait outside to make these arrests. If our courthouses are not safe spaces, then there is no meaningful access to justice.
Thank you again for your time and work on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
