Massachusetts judge orders sheriff to release ICE detainee health records to ACLU

In a ruling issued Wednesday, Judge James Budreau ordered the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office to supply anonymized health records for immigrant detainees to the ACLU of Massachusetts. The lawsuit stemmed from the sheriff’s refusal to release the documents, arguing that federal immigration law pre-empted state public-records statutes. Budreau dismissed that claim, stating that the records pertain to the state’s police powers over health and safety, not immigration regulation.

ACLU attorney Dan McFadden hailed the decision as a win for transparency and detainee rights. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karen Barry confirmed the agency will obey the order, calling the case “novel.” The facility, the state’s sole long-term ICE detention center, has faced criticism over medical care, with reports citing inadequate treatment and several detainee deaths nationwide.