How Trump's immigration crackdown affects Massachusetts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
A second Trump presidency stands to test Massachusetts' support of foreign-born residents, from refugees and migrants to college students.
Why it matters: Massachusetts officials, attorneys and activists were front and center in some of the biggest immigration fights under Donald Trump, but his second term comes as the state is grappling with a shelter crisis exacerbated by an influx of migrants.
Between the lines: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell is ramping up her office to prepare for legal battles under Trump, but her predecessor may take a different approach.
- Gov. Maura Healey, who sued the Trump administration dozens of times as attorney general, told state lawmakers last week she would "work with the federal government in any way that benefits Massachusetts, and I also promise you we will not change who we are."
Driving the news: Trump entered office Monday with plans for 100 executive orders.
- The Trump administration plans to reinstate Title 42, a COVID-era policy that let officials quickly expel migrants at the border over concerns about spreading illness, preventing them from seeking asylum.
- Other planned executive actions include completing the border wall, having local and state police help immigration authorities and restricting asylum.
Zoom in: Trump's border plans could shut out asylum seekers escaping violence in their home countries, but could also stem the flow of migrants seeking refuge in Massachusetts shelters — a resource Healey says the state can no longer afford.
- The new administration also could target the estimated 130,000 undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts and thousands of recipients with temporary benefits like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to reinstate his first administration's travel bans and implement "ideological screening on all immigrants."
- If he follows through, Boston-area international students from certain countries could be barred from entering the U.S. to resume their studies like they were during Trump's first term.
- Trump's reelection prompted UMass Amherst and other colleges to ask international students to return to the U.S. before the inauguration.
What's next: It's too early to tell how far Trump will take the immigration crackdown, but if his last term is any indication, the changes could call into question the future of immigrants in Massachusetts and even students, crime victims and refugees.
What we're watching: Who in Massachusetts will become targets under Trump's immigration policies — and how the Healey administration will respond.