John Kyriakis, “Area Residents Hold Candelight Vigil to Protest ICE,” Dedham Times, March 6, 2026.

On a cold, rainy evening, Thursday March 5th , approximately 60 people from Neponset Valley Progressives and the Dedham Democratic Town Committee held a candlelight vigil, in front of the First Church and Parish, to protest the ongoing actions of ICE/CBP in our communities and to commemorate those killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection (ICE/CBP). Protesters gathered with signs. The bells of the First Church rang, once for each person killed by ICE/CBP action. Participants gathered to sing as well.

March 5 holds special significance as it is the anniversary of the Boston Massacre when patriots took a stand against the oppression of King George III. The protesters point out that the lawlessness and authoritarianism of the Trump administration have facilitated ICE and CBP violence.

ICE/CBP is arresting people and incarcerating them without due process, and searching private property without judicial warrants. This is unconstitutional. ICE/CBP is now adopting AI and other surveillance tech to spy not only on immigrants,
but on protesters who oppose ICE/CBP actions.

In addition to Renee Good and Alex Pretti, 40 people (32 in ICE custody, 8 in ICE “incidents”) have been killed by ICE/CBP, Thus far, ICE/CBP has arrested 328,000 people and detained close to 65,000—including children. Despite claims from the Trump
administration that it is rounding up the “worst of the worst,” fewer than 14% of those arrested have been convicted of violent crimes. According to Trac (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse) 73% held in ICE detention have no criminal record;
and as of Feb 7, 2026 many of those convicted committed minor offenses, including traffic violations.

Heather Ford, “Op Ed: Our State Legislators Must Protect Our Human Rights by Sponsoring the Safe Communities Act,” Westwood Minute, March 6, 2026.

ICE’s (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) actions are making our community less safe: from the murders of Minnesota’s Renee Good and Alex Pretti, to the detainment of Milford teen Marcelo Gomes da Silva. The Burlington ICE facility that held Gomes da Silva is a mere twenty-five miles from Westwood.

ICE was founded in 2003 as part of the Homeland Security Act. Paradoxically, the above actions make my homes of Massachusetts and America less secure. The right to a trial and freedom from arbitrary arrest are human rights named in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here in Massachusetts, resistance and dissent are baked into our pedigree: we are the home of the Boston Tea Party and the “shot heard ‘round the world” in Concord. This historic resistance has not met this moment. States like California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington have all passed legislation to prevent state and local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE. ICE is pressuring local police departments to sign up for its 287(g) program, which turns street-level officers into ICE agents. Massachusetts is the only state with a Democratic governor and Democratic legislature to still have a statewide 287(g) agreement with ICE.

Governor Healey and Beacon Hill legislators are finally getting the memo that the public wants to see action. But it matters that we pass legislation that meets this unprecedented moment.

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.

Neither Westwood’s State Representative Paul McMurtry nor its State Senator Mike Rush have sponsored the Safe Communities Act (H2580/S1681). The Safe Communities Act limits local and state police collaboration with federal immigration agents, bars law enforcement and court personnel from inquiring about immigration status, protects access to justice in our courts, and ensures due process protections. Immigrant workers, survivors of domestic and sexual assault, and tenants must feel safe reporting crimes, abuse, or exploitation without fear of deportation. I urge my neighbors to contact Rep McMurtry and Sen Rush about this Act.

Becca Kornet, “Letter: Legislative action needed to protect immigrants,” Hometown Weekly, February 27, 2026.

To the Editor:

Every day, we see horrific violence by ICE agents across the country, including here in Massachusetts. This has hit pretty close to home, with Milford and Framingham being among the communities hardest hit by ICE in 2025. ICE’s actions are making all our communities less safe. Massachusetts residents have turned out in big numbers to protests and standouts demanding that our elected leaders do more leading and stand up to the cruelty and lawlessness of the Trump administration. There was a recent surge of ICE activity in Maine, and Massachusetts could be targeted next. We need to be ready for that now.

Many of our beloved immigrant neighbors are rightfully scared to leave their homes for fear of being detained by ICE. Parents are staying home from work and children are staying home from school. Others who are not immigrants but have black or brown skin, or an accent, or just find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time can all too easily find themselves in the middle of an ICE detention raid. Once someone is detained by ICE, the harrowing process has been known to move extremely quickly, with individuals transferred to Burlington, then to Plymouth, then to someplace like Louisiana – often over the course of a single day, before their families even know what happened, and before they have had a chance to secure legal representation. It is a dehumanizing experience.

While Massachusetts can’t stop everything ICE is doing, we must stop being complicit. Although many of us are proud of Massachusetts’s reputation as a liberal bastion, when it comes to protecting our immigrant communities, we have often lagged behind other states. States like California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington have all passed critical legislation to prevent state and local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE. Governor Healey and Beacon Hill legislators are finally coming around to the idea that the public wants to see action. But it matters that we pass legislation that truly meets the moment.

Beacon Hill should make it clear: state and local law enforcement should not be assisting ICE and should not be acting as ICE agents. 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. ICE is pressuring local police departments to sign up for its 287(g) program, which turns street-level officers into ICE agents – Massachusetts should prevent this misuse of public safety resourcesfrom happening within our borders. Massachusetts is the only state with a Democratic governor and Democratic legislature to still have a statewide 287(g) agreement with ICE. Governor Healey can end this collaboration with a stroke of the pen.

I urge you to look up your local legislators and find out if they have supported similar legislation.  You can find out if they are supporting the Safe Communities Act here. Other relevant legislation includes the Dignity Not Deportations Bill and the Black and Latino Caucus’s PROTECT Act. Call on them to build support with their colleagues behind robust legislation.

Becca Kornet
Medfield

Rita Colafella, “Letter: State Legislation Needed to Stop Local Police From Assisting ICE,” Watertown News, February 23, 2026.

Across the US, we are witnessing ICE violence perpetrated with apparent impunity. On TV and social media, we see lawlessness and general chaos. A functional society needs the rule of law — built on stable precedents, clear processes, and established procedures to ensure the safety of every resident. Currently, that safety is being undermined by a federal administration that shifts rules on a weekly basis, while operating without a transparent strategy or the tactical oversight necessary to protect civil liberties.

Americans from across the political spectrum have turned out in droves to demand accountability. Recent polling reflects this growing national consensus: 60% of Americans disapprove of ICE’s conduct, including 68% of independents. Even among those who generally support the agency’s mission, there is unease because 65% of ALL those polled believe ICE has “gone too far.” It is no different in Massachusetts. Maine is experiencing a sudden and sharp increase in ICE activity. If Massachusetts is next, then we need a decisive local response. We along with 100 of millions of other Americans urge our elected leaders to act. It is time to implement safeguards that prevent federal overreach from compromising the safety, dignity, and legal stability of our communities. 

I grew up in the shadow of the Soviet Union and 40 years after World War II, and this issue transcends modern politics — it is about the fundamental preservation of human dignity and the sanctity of the law. When one is raised with the historical memory of how quickly state power can turn arbitrary and unchecked, one understands that “rules” are only meaningful when they are consistent and transparent. We learned that America’s promise is rooted in the idea that one’s safety is guaranteed by the rule of law rather than the whims of a shifting administration. When enforcement agencies operate without accountability, it echoes the very instability and overreach that many sought to escape. Protecting this idea matters because both heritage and history have demonstrated countless times that once the precedent for lawlessness is set, no community is truly secure.

While the Commonwealth cannot directly overturn federal ICE policy or obstruct its operations, we are under no obligation to be complicit in its actions. Massachusetts is failing to uphold its historic “rebellious reputation” — the same spirit that ignited the American Revolution and stoked the flames when other states wavered. Today, we are falling short of protecting our residents. Other states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, have already passed decisive legislation to prevent state and local law enforcement from collaborating with ICE. The national tide is turning, and it is time for the Governor and Beacon Hill to recognize this shift. Our leaders must do their jobs by passing legislation with real “teeth” — laws that reflect the will of the people and effectively address the wrongdoing occurring within our borders.

Our legislation must be crystal clear: state and all local law enforcement should not be assisting ICE and should not be acting as ICE agents. Massachusetts law enforcement must never assist ICE in making civil immigration arrests — taking people into custody when they have not committed a crime. Nor should they ask any members of the public about one’s status. Locally funded resources must remain focused on protecting our communities, not assisting ICE in civil arrests or interrogations. ICE is pressuring local departments to sign 287(g) agreements, which effectively deputize local officers to perform federal immigration duties.

Massachusetts remains the only state with a Democratic governor and a Democratic-majority legislature to maintain such a statewide agreement. The chaotic civil immigration enforcement is not just a moral failure — it is a strategic one. Diverting highly trained and handsomely paid officers to apprehend people for status violations — often without a judicial warrant — moves resources away from responding to overdoses, domestic violence and armed robberies. The data is undeniable: U.S.citizens are 2.5 times more likely to commit drug crimes, and over four times more likely to commit property crimes compared to undocumented immigrants. By many metrics, focusing on civil violations does not make us safer; it only erodes the trust necessary for effective community policing. The Governor has the power to end this collaboration with a stroke of her pen. It is time for Beacon Hill to pass legislation to protect every resident of this Commonwealth.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan recently came to Watertown, and described what we can do to protect people. It included informing people of their rights to properly labelling areas as Private. She then said the most effective actions are demonstrating on the streets and contacting your representatives. So I ask you to look up your local legislators and find out if they have supported ending such agreements with ICE.

Rita Colafella
Watertown Resident

Kelene Blumstein, “Letter: A call for action to stop complicity with ICE actions,” The Harvard Press, February 20, 2026.

According to reliable news reports, ICE’s violent actions are happening across the country, including in Massachusetts. We must not allow this to happen in Harvard—or anywhere. In my opinion, these operations make our communities less safe.

The Department of Homeland Security is systematically abusing its authority through unlawful raids, while spreading propaganda and misinformation to justify its actions. This climate of aggression undermines public safety and erodes trust in all law enforcement.

Massachusetts cannot stop everything ICE is doing, but we must stop being complicit.

Gov. Healey and state legislators are finally hearing the public’s demand for action—but it matters that we pass legislation that truly meets this moment.

We must demand that:

• State and local law enforcement do not assist ICE or act as ICE agents.
• Massachusetts law enforcement never assist ICE in civil immigration arrests or ask people about their immigration status.
• ICE’s 287(g) program—which turns local officers into ICE agents—should be ended. Massachusetts is the only blue state with a 287(g) agreement. Gov. Healey can end this with a stroke of the pen.

Let’s demand that our legislators pass the Safe Communities Act, the PROTECT Act, and the Dignity Not Deportations Bill.

These bills would:

• Truly separate local police from ICE.
• End all 287(g) agreements.
• Protect access to courthouses and schools.

Let’s keep our police focused on community safety.

Kelene Blumstein, Littleton Road