Massachusetts Enacts PROTECT Act Limiting Local Cooperation With ICE
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act into law on Wednesday, sharply limiting local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and banning warrantless civil immigration arrests in sensitive public sites.[1]
The law bars warrantless civil immigration arrests in courthouses, public schools and healthcare facilities and forbids police from routinely asking about citizenship status.[1] It also prohibits new 287(g) agreements between ICE and local police but preserves an existing ICE-Department of Correction transfer pact for people with final deportation orders.[1]
A 2017 Massachusetts high court ruling held that local police may not honor ICE detainer requests, and the statute now codifies that decision into state law.[1] Supporters framed the measure as a legal bulwark against planned deportation operations under President Donald Trump; critics say it could hinder cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.[1]
The new law places Massachusetts alongside New York, California, Virginia and Maryland in adopting wide-ranging limits on local-police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Gov. Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act into law in Massachusetts.
- The law bans warrantless civil immigration arrests in courthouses, public schools and healthcare facilities and bars police from routinely asking about citizenship status.
- It prohibits new 287(g) agreements between ICE and local police but leaves in place an existing ICE–Department of Correction transfer agreement for people with final deportation orders.
- The statute codifies a 2017 Massachusetts high court ruling that local police may not honor ICE detainer requests.
- The measure positions Massachusetts alongside New York, California, Virginia and Maryland in adopting wide-ranging limits on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
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