Massachusetts official announces executive order, files bill to limit ICE activity in schools, courthouses and health sites

A state official announced an executive order and legislation intended to limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in sensitive locations across Massachusetts, saying the measures will take effect immediately and aim to protect immigrant communities, public safety and access to education and health care.

"I'm signing an executive order today to protect our state and state resources from ICE," Speaker 1 said, listing schools, day cares, child-care centers, churches, hospitals, health clinics and courthouses as covered locations. The speaker said the order would "prohibit[] ICE from making civil arrests in non public spaces of state buildings," bar the use of state property "for staging immigration enforcement activities," and stop state agencies from entering into new "287 g" agreements absent a clear and imminent public-safety need.

The announcement was framed as protecting constitutional rights and community trust. "We're standing up for our immigrant communities who are a part of the fabric of our communities," Speaker 1 said, adding that the move defends "public safety and for education and health care and the ability of people to freely practice their faith." Speaker 2 added that "these operations diminish access to justice," saying such enforcement actions can erode trust in law enforcement and make courthouses less safe venues for defendants, witnesses and victims to seek due process.

Speakers cited local examples they said illustrated the harm. Speaker 4 said that after an ICE action in Chelsea on Jan. 22, 2025, fear spread through the community and many parents kept children home; the transcript reports, "Out of the 6,130 students in Chelsea, a 31 were absent, 16.7%." Speaker 5, identifying their organization as a community health center serving nearly 40,000 patients from Brockton and surrounding communities, warned that fear of enforcement deters people from seeking timely medical care.

Officials and religious leaders framed the order as both a policy response and a statement of values. Speaker 3 referenced a message from the U.S. Catholic Bishops and said that "safe spaces in schools, hospitals, and houses of worship are needed" to preserve dignity. Speaker 6 said the year had been "very painful" for families affected by ICE presence and that the announced protections provide hope for communities seeking to live without fear.

The speaker urged federal action as well. "Donald Trump needs to take action himself to change what ICE is about," Speaker 1 said, and called on Congress to act if federal leadership does not. In the meantime, the speaker said, the state will act to protect residents.

The announcement included two formal elements discussed in the transcript: filing legislation to keep ICE out of listed locations and signing an executive order to implement immediate protections. The transcript does not record the text of the proposed bill, legislative bill number, or details about enforcement mechanics or legal review. The number of absent students reported for Chelsea appears garbled in the transcript (see clarifying details); the percentage (16.7%) is recorded, but the exact headcount was unclear in the audio transcript.

Next steps, including whether the executive order will face legal challenge or how the state will implement limits on state-agency agreements, were not specified in the transcript.