Massachusetts Governor Says She Won’t Obstruct ICE Efforts to Deport Criminals

Healey also said that Massachusetts State Police would ‘absolutely not’ assist the administration with its promised mass deportation efforts.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she supports the arrest of illegal immigrant criminals in her state, but reaffirmed an earlier promise that state police will not help in mass deportation efforts.

The Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement since taking office, including via a Department of Justice memo that directs federal prosecutors to investigate state and local officials who obstruct federal immigration efforts. The memo raises questions about whether the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts could prosecute local officials who refuse to comply with the president’s orders.

When asked at a Wednesday press conference if she was concerned about the DOJ memo, Healey said she “has no reason to be concerned.”

“We’re not a sanctuary state,” she said, adding that she’s not planning to get in the way of federal immigration agents doing their jobs.

Eight Massachusetts cities, including Boston and Cambridge, have proclaimed sanctuary status, which include local laws to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to shield illegal immigrants from deportation.

Immediately following Trump’s reelection, Healey pledged that Massachusetts State Police would “absolutely not” assist the administration with its promised mass deportation efforts. That pledge still stands, she said, noting there is a difference between “civil immigration enforcement” and addressing crimes committed by those in the country illegally.

“When it comes to criminal activity, alleged criminal activity, or the apprehension of those who have committed crimes—whether they are people from Massachusetts or people who come to Massachusetts, cooperation by my administration through the state police, by others in local law enforcement, will continue with our federal authorities,” she told the reporter.

“We want to make sure that we’re always supportive of law enforcement when it comes to investigating, prosecuting, pursuing, holding accountable, and—in the event you’re talking about a person who is undocumented—the removal, the deportation of that individual.”

On Thursday, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued a joint statement with her counterparts from 12 other states, condemning the DOJ directive as unconstitutional for trying to compel states to enforce federal laws.

The attorneys general said they will uphold laws of their own states and won’t be “distracted by the president’s mass deportation agenda.” They also said they will challenge any prosecutions of local officials.

“The President has made troubling threats to weaponize the U.S. Department of Justice’s prosecutorial authority and resources to attack public servants acting in compliance with their state laws, interfering with their ability to build trust with the communities they serve and protect,” the statement said.

Amid the legal debate, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been swift in executing the administration’s agenda, prioritizing illegal immigrants with criminal records. In a span of two days, the agency has arrested more than 1,000 illegal immigrants across the country, including in self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities” such as New York and Boston.

One high-profile arrest in Boston involved 25-year-old Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles, whom ICE identified as a member of a Haitian street gang with 17 criminal convictions.

According to ICE Boston, Charles entered the United States legally in 2013, but later “violated the terms of his lawful admission.” His convictions include multiple drug, weapons, and assault and battery crimes.