WORCESTER, Mass. — A pair of Massachusetts lawmakers are advocating for measures that would empower state and local law enforcement agencies to hold dangerous migrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency intervention.
Republican State Representatives Michael J. Soter, of Bellingham, and Kenneth P. Sweezey, of Pembroke, filed “An Act to Promote and Protect Safety in the Commonwealth,” which seeks to enhance cooperation among state court officers, local or state law enforcement, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, a spokesman for the Office of Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis announced Friday.
Soter and Sweezey said the bill specifically addresses a loophole that prevents court officers and law enforcement officials from holding dangerous illegal non-citizens with ICE detainers beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from state custody, allowing these individuals to walk free after committing significant crimes in certain situations.
“It’s essential that we equip our law enforcement with the resources, tools, and support they need to keep our communities safe,” Soter said in a statement shared with Boston 25 News. “Both sides of the aisle are united in the belief that undocumented immigrants who come here to commit crimes should be returned to their home countries. The state and local authorities must be able to detain these criminals and give ICE the opportunity to take action.”
Sweezey added, “The immigration issue in Massachusetts has gotten completely out of control. This piece of legislation is a very simple, common-sense first step in rectifying part of the issue.”
The introduction of this bill comes as President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants and ICE agents begin to arrest violent, non-citizen offenders in Massachusetts.
Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald Jr. co-sponsored the bill with Evangelidis.
“The public expects law enforcement agencies to be communicating and assuring individuals are not released back to our community if wanted by another jurisdiction. We are simply asking for legal authority to do just that,” McDonald Jr. said in a statement.
In October, Evangelidis highlighted an increase in crimes committed by undocumented migrants, a metric measured by the number of detainers his department has received from ICE since 2021.
“The number of individuals with ICE detainers coming through our facility has more than doubled since 2021,” Evangelidis said in a statement. “These individuals have committed serious crimes including murder, rape, drug trafficking, and more. This bill will ensure that my staff can utilize all available tools to protect the safety of Massachusetts residents. The legislation drafted by Representatives Soter and Sweezey will accomplish this and prevent ICE from expending unnecessary resources in re-arresting dangerous non-citizens.”
The Trump administration has said that its focus is on deporting undocumented migrants who pose a threat to public safety.
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