Massachusetts Governor Signs New Law Blocking ICE Access to Several Locations
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a new law on August 5 aimed at restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from accessing certain locations across the state, including schools, hospitals, courthouses, and care centers.Healey described this legislation as the strongest in the U.S. against ICE, highlighting concerns that residents, particularly children in Chelsea, avoid school, medical appointments, and court proceedings due to fears of ICE encounters. She characterized ICE as not a law enforcement agency and criticized its actions, advocating for its cessation in Massachusetts and nationwide.The law expands protections for immigrants from civil immigration arrests at designated public locations.
The move comes amidst an increase in ICE enforcement actions nationwide, reaching record levels in July during President Trump’s second term.The Department of Homeland security responded by criticizing Massachusetts for releasing violent criminals, accusing state lawmakers of undermining federal efforts and public safety. Several sanctuary states and cities across the U.S. have adopted policies shielding certain individuals from ICE enforcement, with some of the safest cities cooperating with ICE. This legislative shift highlights ongoing national debates over immigration enforcement, public safety, and local authority.
Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed a new law on Aug. 5 attempting to block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from accessing a variety of locations across the state.
Healey described the law, which names schools, daycares, hospitals, health centers, nursing homes, and courthouses as places ICE cannot access, as the strongest legislation in the country against ICE.
The official claimed that children in Chelsea, where she signed the legislation, have not been attending school for fear of ICE encounters, per a report from CBS News.
She also claimed that people have stopped going to the doctor’s office or testifying in court to avoid ICE.
NEW: Gov Healey says that “ICE is NOT a law enforcement agency” and says that nobody in ICE would have been qualified to be hired for a state agency (such as the Massachusetts State Police) pic.twitter.com/ggWch6Jh0M
— Mass Daily News (@MassDailyNews) July 29, 2026
“The law I’m signing today is a public safety law,” Healey told reporters at the signing event.
“I think we can agree that we need immigration reform in this country. We can agree we need controls at the border,” she continued.
“We can also agree that ICE is so wrong in what it’s doing and ICE needs to be stopped, here in Massachusetts and around this country, just stopped in its tracks.”
Maura Healey Signs Law Expanding Illegal Immigrant Protections Against ICE In Massachusetts
Gov. Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act into law Wednesday, immediately expanding protections against civil immigration arrests by ICE at schools, hospitals, child care centers and… pic.twitter.com/v6o99DrvwW
— New Boston Post (@NewBostonPost) August 5, 2026
The new law comes as ICE expands its nationwide crackdown, with detentions reaching a record level in July for President Donald Trump’s second term.
A representative for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to CBS News that “instead of working with us, Massachusetts lawmakers are choosing to RELEASE violent criminals from their jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.”
“When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” the statement added.
“Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE.”
There are 15 sanctuary states across the country as of June, according to a report from the Center for Immigration Studies.
Such cities, counties, and states across the country have “laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE.”
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