Annie Rousseau, “Massachusetts Must Take Action against ICE Collaboration,” The Bulletin, February 19, 2026.
Letter: “Stop ICE in Massachusetts “
Al Blake, “Letter: Stop ICE in Massachusetts,” Berkshire Eagle, February 18, 2026.
To the editor: Every day, we see horrific violence by federal immigration agents across the country, including here in Massachusetts.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions are making all of our communities less safe. Berkshire 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, so we must stop being complicit. Gov. Maura 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 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 or ask members of the public about their immigration status. We are the only state with a Democratic governor and Democratic-majority Legislature to still have a statewide 287(g) agreement with ICE. Gov. Healey can end this collaboration with a stroke of the pen.
Al Blake, Becket
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?”
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.
PM in the News: “Governor advances legislation, executive order to curb ICE”
Yawu Miller, “Governor advances legislation, executive order to curb ICE,” Flipside News, February 2, 2026.
“The Black and Latino Caucus has clearly put in a lot of work in terms of stakeholder engagement,” said Progressive Massachusetts Policy Director Jonathan Cohn. “They enter the space with a lot of political capital and legitimacy.”
PM in the News: “Black and Latino Caucus pushes immigration reform legislation”
Yawu Miller, “Black and Latino Caucus pushes immigration reform legislation,” Flipside News, January 29, 2026.
“I would like to believe that with the shift in public opinion on immigration, now is the moment for the Legislature to take action,” said Progressive Massachusetts Policy Director Jonathan Cohn. “There will never be a better time to get this passed.”
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.
- Contact your state legislators to take action to disentangle state and local law enforcement from ICE.
- Contact Gov. Healey and tell her to end her collaboration agreement with ICE that uses OUR tax dollars to do ICE’S work.
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.”
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.