The Protect Act

President Trump’s ICE operations have consistently violated the laws and norms of policing in the United States and undermined public safety. The expansion of their role into airport security, the lack of training and oversight, and the indiscriminate violence they have committed is horrifying. I strongly oppose these operations.

In response to these actions by the federal government, the Massachusetts House of Representatives shortly after President Trump was sworn in, provided funding for Legal Aid lawyers to provide free legal services to our residents who need legal help with ICE.  This resource greatly added many residents for the last year.  Governor Healey recently proposed to continue this funding in the next budget.

We still needed to do more.  On March 25, 2026, the House of Representatives passed legislation that establishes statewide standards between state and local systems and federal immigration enforcement. I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation, as it strengthens due process protections, limits civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, expands protections for victims of crime, and increases transparency, accountability, and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement. The PROTECT Act was originally filed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (BLLC), with the goal of offering feasible policy solutions to address growing immigration concerns in Massachusetts. 

I co-sponsored this bill, advocated for its passage, and voted for the bill.  The bill does not change the ability of law enforcement to work with the federal government regarding criminal conduct, but provides limitations on cooperation regarding civil (non-criminal) investigations. 

Below is what was included:

Limits on Law Enforcement

The bill restricts state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement. It prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status unless the inquiry is directly material to a specific criminal offense (for example: human trafficking), and bars the use of local resources for civil immigration enforcement and limits the sharing of nonpublic information and advance release notifications.

The bill also prohibits law enforcement agencies and political subdivisions from executing, renewing, or materially expanding a 287(g) memorandum of agreement (which authorizes ICE to give state and local law enforcement officers the authority to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties.). It also adds oversight and reporting. This change effectively allows only narrow, time-limited exceptions tied to criminal activity for public safety purposes.

We hope this will improve public safety so that immigrants will be more comfortable reporting crimes that they see or experience to the police without fear of the local police turning them over to public safety.

Courthouse Arrest Protections

The legislation limits civil arrests in courthouses by requiring a judicial warrant or order, and a review by a judicial official. Except in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the judicial official. The bill also prohibits a civil arrest from being made in a courtroom.

We hope this increases justice in Massachusetts.  Right now, many witnesses and victims are not going to courthouses to testify at trial for fear of ICE.  District Attorneys have complained that they have had to dismiss criminal cases and let criminal defendants go free because of ICE’s civil arrest actions in courthouses.  

Detention & Legal Access

We continue to allow ICE to detain individuals in the Plymouth House of Corrections, because ICE will remove people from the state or house them in worse conditions if we do not.  We are demanding more from Plymouth HOC for the conditions that they provide.

Specifically, the bill creates uniform standards for individuals in correctional facilities. It requires notice of legal rights in a person’s primary language at intake, guarantees confidential attorney-client communication, and mandates the timely tracking of custody status and transfers with notice to counsel and designated contacts. Under this bill, corrections facilities must provide interpretation services for key interactions and ensure access to court proceedings, including remote options. It also creates a public-facing system for locating detained individuals.

Worker Notification

The legislation requires that employers provide written notice to employees within 48 hours of receiving a federal immigration inspection notice, such as an I-9 audit.  Employers receive such notice 72 hours before inspections.

U & T Visa Certification Reform

The bill reforms the certification process for victims of crime and human trafficking. It also broadens qualifying criminal activity, clarifies that charges or convictions are not required, and mandates clear policies and timelines for certifying entities, including expedited review in urgent cases. Additionally, it creates a presumption of helpfulness for cooperating victims, prohibits fees and retaliation, and requires data reporting to ensure accountability.  This will make it easier for the Commonwealth to have victims of abuse to testify.

Bail Consideration

Under this legislation, courts may consider the likelihood of imminent deportation when making bail determinations. By allowing this update, defendants remain available to appear at future court dates and fully participate in the proceedings. This helps preserve the Commonwealth’s interest in adjudicating cases on their merits and maintains continuity in the judicial process.

State Facilities & Guidance

The legislation authorizes the Governor to restrict civil immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of state facilities, and requires multilingual guidance for agencies, private entities, law enforcement, and the public. The guidance addresses how to respond to enforcement actions, verify credentials, document interactions, and understand individual rights.

Enforcement

Additionally, the attorney general is authorized to enforce key provisions through civil actions, with courts empowered to order compliance, monitoring, and reporting. The bill also specifies that there is no private right of action, except an individual may apply for a writ of habeas corpus if the individual has reasonable cause to believe a violation occurred.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 134-21. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.