Fears stemming from immigration enforcement have breathed some life into a long-stalled bill that’s meant to limit cooperation between local and federal immigration authorities.
Dozens gathered in Gardner Auditorium Tuesday to support the so-called “Safe Communities Act” (S 1681/ H 2580) during a Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. The bill would end 287(g) agreements that allow local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration officers’ responsibilities.
Among those testifying were a few police chiefs, district attorneys and local elected officials — exactly the kind of people bill sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge said he wanted to back the proposal.
“Probably the biggest is major chiefs that represent immigrant communities — that would be most helpful. That was also helpful to pass the driver’s license bill,” Eldridge said, referring to the law that took effect in 2023 and allows residents to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status.
The legislation has been filed every term since at least 2017 and has been loitering on Beacon Hill for years as top House and Senate Democrats have shown little interest in advancing it. The proposal was sent to a study order last session — effectively killing its progress that session. It has cleared the committee and in 2018 — during President Donald Trump’s first term — the Senate adopted the bill as a policy rider to the budget.
Tuesday’s hearing was the first time lawmakers heard testimony on the bill since it was filed in February.
Eldridge told the News Service that some legislators have “shifted” their stance on the proposal as a result of community outreach as well as information on how deportations would affect the commonwealth.
”I don’t think people realize how destructive the mass deportation impact would be in Massachusetts in terms of intensity and frequency,” Eldridge told the News Service Tuesday.
Top Democratic legislative leaders have offered little support for the measure this session.
When asked in September whether now is the time to advance the bill amid rising ICE activity in the state, House Speaker Ron Mariano said: “I don’t know if it’s a year for that.”
“The issue of enforcing immigration laws is a purview of the federal government,” he said during a Sept. 8 press conference. “It’s not a purview of the state government. We are here to enforce the state laws, and we do that. And we do it very well. And so I think that there has to be a way for us to coexist without having to get into defining and limiting each other’s specific charges.”
Senate President Karen Spilka was also noncommittal in September when pressed on whether the Legislature would pass the bill. She said much of what the proposal calls for is already standard practice in the state.
When asked if he has heard from Spilka or Mariano on the proposal, Eldridge said he’s aware of “their support for immigrants” but not a specific bill as many have been filed this session aimed at protecting immigrants.
“But you know the legislative process, it’s a two-year process, and the advocacy that happens today will hopefully have an impact on not just all the committee members, but the whole legislature,” Eldridge said.
Just hours before the hearing, immigration advocates and labor unions held a rally at the State House urging lawmakers to pass proposals aimed at defending immigrant communities.
“ICE’s actions are tearing at the fabric of communities all across our great Commonwealth. ICE has gone too far: grabbing people on their way to work and school, smashing car windows, perpetrating violence, and destroying lives,” said Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts in a statement. “The Trump administration’s capacity for cruelty and terror knows no bounds. It’s time for leaders in the Commonwealth to speak with one voice and say, ‘We will not assist ICE. We will not turn our police into ICE agents.”
A majority of those testifying supported the act, noting immigrants are scared of increased ICE activity. Some say they are scared to go grocery shopping or take their kids to school. Others shared stories of avoiding seeking out medical care or help with domestic violence over fears of being deported.
Many say this fear has eroded trust of local and state law enforcement.
“Public safety depends on trust, and trust disappears when residents fear that any interaction with local government can lead to detention or deportation,” said Pauline Wells, superintendent of operations for the Cambridge Police Department, who was dressed in a full police uniform during the hearing. “…When community members trust law enforcement enough to come forward or call 911 we are all safe.”
Cambridge has an ordinance restricting city officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, except when it is required by law.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the bill would restore trust in law enforcement.
“We we are who we say we are. Words Matter, having this as of law, having people know they are protected does matter across the commonwealth,” Ryan said.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue also testified in support of the bill.
While supporters of the Safe Communities Act dominated the hearing, other bills on the agenda address how law enforcement across the state can cooperate with federal immigration officials.
One of these bills (S 1776) filed by Sen. Bruce Tarr is meant to empower law enforcement to assist federal immigration officers in detaining convicted criminals.
Tarr noted the proposal – which is co-sponsored by two members of the committee – is a “common sense” way to outline when local and state law enforcement can comply with ICE.
“This is not a broad or sweeping measure. This is one that is finely tailored to protect public safety,” Tarr said.
Katie Castellani is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro Massachusetts. Reach her at kcastellani@stateaffairs.com.