I am writing with a sense of urgency and deep conviction to urge the Massachusetts Legislature to pass the PROTECT Act (H.5158) and send it to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk quickly. In these dangerous times, this bill is not just legislation; it’s a necessary shield for our neighbors, our families, and the very fabric of our communities.

In western Massachusetts we have already felt the chill of federal overreach. We have witnessed ICE arrests in our own community, thankfully, without violence so far. But the worry is real. We see our immigrant friends and neighbors living in fear about being taken away from their families, afraid to go to work, afraid to send their children to school, and even afraid to seek justice in our courts. This is not who we are as a commonwealth (or as a country).

The PROTECT Act is a vital first step toward pushing back against this aggression. We applaud the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for filing this bill to address the blatant disregard for constitutional rights we are experiencing now by federal immigration agents.

This bill’s provisions are commonsense measures based on safety and dignity. We must ban formal 287(g) agreements that turn our local police into federal agents, and prohibit informal collaboration that leads to officers sharing personal information with ICE. Our law enforcement officers should be focused on fighting crime in our neighborhoods, not working for a mass deportation machine.

I also strongly support the bill’s effort to keep our courthouses safe. When victims of crime and witnesses are too afraid to come to courts because they fear arrest and deportation, justice fails for everyone. Gov. Healey has rightly described other “sensitive spaces” like schools and hospitals, and I urge the Legislature to strengthen the bill by extending these protections there too. It also should include provisions to urge investigation and prosecution of federal agents who commit state crimes (like assault and murder) under state laws (just like everyone else).

Make no mistake: the federal government’s goal of arresting thousands of people a day depends on our complicity. Massachusetts must not be complicit in this campaign of terror. We can and must do more, but the PROTECT Act is a good start. Pass it now. Strengthen it later. Our community and our humanity depend on it. Please call your representatives to tell them that we care about our families, friends, and co-workers, and need this act passed to protect us all.

Lawrence Pareles

Florence