Massachusetts Governor Enacts Toughest State Protections Limiting ICE Operations

Gov. Maura Healey signed the Protect Act, a law that bars ICE from making civil immigration arrests without a warrant in courthouses, schools, child-care centers and health facilities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, signed the Protect Act on Wednesday during a ceremony in Chelsea, describing it as the “strongest” anti-ICE legislation in the United States. The bill restricts Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from carrying out civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant in courthouses, public schools, child-care centers and health-care facilities. Healey said ICE’s actions have harmed public safety, noting that fear of raids has caused immigrant families in Chelsea to keep children out of school and skip doctor visits, with schools reporting lower attendance.

She also claimed ICE presence at courthouses discourages witnesses from appearing. The governor framed the law as a necessary step toward broader immigration reform while condemning ICE agents as “untrained, unqualified, and unfit.” The enactment comes as ICE detentions hit a record high in July under the Trump administration.