Immigrant advocates look to state amid Trump deportation pledges

Yahoo

20-03-2025

BOSTON (SHNS) – Angered by the Trump administration's deportation actions, hundreds of immigrants and advocates urged Beacon Hill lawmakers Wednesday to strengthen state-level protections, including passing a long-debated law to restrict cooperation between local and federal law enforcement officials.
Supporters with the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition sought to rally momentum for the Safe Communities Act (S 1681 / H 2580), legislation that has lingered around Beacon Hill for years looking to end so-called 287(g) agreements that give state and local law enforcement the authority to carry out federal immigration officers' jobs.
Top House and Senate Democrats have for years opted against bringing the legislation forward for a vote. The bill was sent to study last session, but has previously cleared the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
During President Donald Trump's first term, the Senate in 2018 adopted the bill as a policy rider to the budget with a 25-13 vote, though it did not survive conference committee negotiations, sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge said.
'I think because under the Biden administration, there was a sense of complacency and the immigrants were protected,' Eldridge, who has sponsored the bill since 2017, told the News Service about last session's study order. 'Obviously, that has completely been upended.'
The Marlborough Democrat added, 'I mean this is a new level of assault on immigrants compared to even when Trump was last president.'
To build more legislative support for the bill this session, Eldridge said he's focused on securing endorsements from police chiefs, law enforcement groups, district attorneys and sheriffs.
'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 annual Immigrants Day event in the Great Hall started off on an upbeat note Wednesday morning, featuring nearly an hour of musical and dance performances. The atmosphere quickly turned serious yet determined as lawmakers and advocates outlined priority legislation they said could counteract Trump administration immigration policies.
'Immigrants matter. Immigrants are the success of Massachusetts, the United States of America, and we have demonstrated that for years, and years, and years,' Rep. Carlos González said, drawing audience applause. 'And now we stand here united, ready to fight.'
Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones was on hand to emphasize the Healey administration's commitment to investing in and upskilling the immigrant workforce. Jones pointed to Gov. Maura Healey's January supplemental budget that seeks to invest $30 million over the next two years into English for Speakers of Other Languages services for adult learners.
'Massachusetts has long been a beacon of opportunity, and our immigrant workforce is a cornerstone of our success, accounting for roughly 20% of our workforce statewide,' Jones said. 'We are home to one of the most highly skilled foreign workforces in the nation. In fact, one in three immigrants arriving or living in our state holds a bachelor's or advanced degree from abroad.'
Advocates also promoted the Immigrant Legal Defense Act (S 1127 / H 1954) that would create a fund, seeded with public and private dollars, to cover legal defense for immigrants who face deportation risks, including individuals held in federal immigration detention centers. Nearly 370 people were in federal immigration detention in Massachusetts as of January, according to MIRA. Immigrants with a lawyer are 10 times more likely to win relief, the coalition says.
Trump has long promised to pursue mass deportations and arrests of people who are in the country illegally and committed crimes. But his administration's deportation tactics are facing increasing scrutiny as federal agents target people here legally, including a Rhode Island doctor, according to Politico.
Federal agents swept through Chelsea on Tuesday and detained multiple individuals, sparking fear among the community that has a large population of immigrants, The Boston Globe reported.
During the first 50 days of the new Trump administration, Immigration Customs and Enforcement arrested 32,809 individuals, Department of Homeland Security officials said last week. That figure includes 14,111 convicted criminals and 9,980 individuals with pending criminal charges, officials said.
'We have deported known terrorists, cartel members, and gang members from our country,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said March 13. 'We will see the number of deportations continue to rise. And illegal immigrants have the option to self-deport and come back LEGALLY in the future.'
Eldridge appeared on stage Wednesday with Suyanne Amaral and Lucas Dos Santos Amaral and their three-year-old daughter. Dos Santos Amaral, who has no criminal record but overstayed his visa, was detained on his way to work in January, GBH reported. Eldridge helped the family navigate the case, said Suyanne Amaral, who has legal status through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
'We need real, humane immigration reform,' Suyanne Amaral said. 'We need policies that recognize the dignity and contributions of immigrants. We need lawmakers with the courage to fight for a chance to stand up for families, to stand up for justice, and to ensure that no child has to cry themselves to sleep, wondering when they will see their parents again.'
Elizabeth Sweet, MIRA Coalition's executive director, told the News Service that immigration actions in Chelsea and other communities do not align with the state's values. She argued the Safe Communities Act 'makes so much sense for Massachusetts.'
'There are so many municipalities with Trust Acts, and this really is about making this a standard law across the state, so that immigrants know they're not going to be asked about their immigration status if they come into contact with our public safety,' Sweet said. 'We have increasingly secured more support from state law enforcement, which we think is an important part of moving this bill forward. But we also think it's about our lawmakers here seeing the enforcement that's happening and realizing that it's the time to stand up and protect our immigrant communities.'
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu earlier this month was in Washington, D.C., defending the city's Trust Act, which prevents local police from cooperating with federal immigration officials. Congressional Republicans have said the city's 'sanctuary' status has hindered federal agents from making arrests and removing 'dangerous criminals.'
Patricia Sobalvarro, executive director of immigration service nonprofit Agencia ALPHA, told advocates Wednesday that 'things are looking really bad right now.'
'But I want to challenge you, and I want to challenge myself to think five, 10 years from now and ask yourself: Could you have done more to protect the immigrant community?' Sobalvarro said.
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