PROTECT Act: What's in the Mass. immigrant protections bill
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A bill that would bolster immigrant protections in Massachusetts nears the finish line this week.
Why it matters: The proposal would limit police from interacting with federal immigration agents in most cases and outline how schools, daycares, hospitals and other public-facing institutions respond to agents.
Catch up quick: A deal on the bill emerged Wednesday after roughly two months of negotiations.
- All lawmakers on the panel but one — Republican Rep. Ryan C. Fattman — signed onto the latest version.
The latest: The House and Senate approved the bill Thursday, sending it to Gov. Maura Healey for review.
What they're saying: "Massachusetts will not lend its badges or its buildings to a deportation campaign that targets people who pose no threat to public safety and treats due process as optional," Rep. Andres Vargas (D-Haverhill), chair of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, said in a statement.
- Rep. Marcus Vaughn (R-Wrentham), who served on the negotiating panel with Vargas, was one of the only Republicans who backed the bill.
- He said it addresses "immigration-related matters while ensuring public safety remains paramount."
Friction point: Democrats and immigrant rights activists praised the bill's passage, but some expressed concerns about language that allows new 287(g) agreements with the governor's permission if they focus on criminal investigations and meet other requirements.
- Kevin Lam, co-executive director of the Asian American Resource Workshop, said the bill marked a step forward but that it fails to protect Asian immigrants with decades-old criminal convictions from detention and deportation.
- Lam and other members of the People's PROTECT Act Coalition said the bill largely lacks Asian representation in the immigration commission created under the proposal.
Here's what else is in the bill:
🚔 Local and state law enforcement wouldn't be allowed to ask about someone's immigration status during a routine police stop or question someone for ICE unless it is directly related to a criminal investigation.
- It also states that it's not meant to bar local and state agencies from complying with a judicial warrant or investigating a crime.
🚸 The bill would ban civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant at public schools, daycares, hospitals and doctor's offices and state courts.
- It would also let the governor ban ICE activity in private areas of state facilities.
⚖️ U and T visas: Law enforcement agencies would have to process applications for visas eligible to victims of certain crimes within 45 days.
- Investigators don't need to secure charges or a conviction to certify a U or T visa for an alleged crime victim.
📝 Guidelines: Massachusetts would have to publish multilingual guidelines for businesses, law enforcement agencies and other institutions for how to respond to ICE encounters.
- It also requires state prisons and county jails to give prisoners multilingual guidelines on their right to counsel, legal aid resources and other information.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Guardianship: The state would recognize pre-arranged guardian plans even if parents are detained and deported, without terminating their parental rights.
💼 Employee notification: If a company gets a notice of inspection from ICE to verify employment eligibility, the employer has to notify its workers at least 48 hours in advance.