Within the eyes of the Trump administration, Massachusetts is a sanctuary state regardless of repeated declarations from Gov. Maura Healey on the contrary.
The Division of Homeland Safety has positioned 12 Bay State municipalities, and all however one of many 14 counties, on a listing of sanctuary jurisdictions, sending a warning to recognized communities throughout the nation.
“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated in an announcement on Thursday. “We’re exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor felony unlawful aliens and defy federal regulation.
“President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first,” the secretary added. “Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.”
The listing comes after President Trump signed an govt order final month that directed Noem and Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi to trace down and current jurisdictions that “refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
The Massachusetts municipalities deemed to be “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws” are Amherst, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Harmony, Holyoke, Lawrence, Newton, Northampton, Orleans, Somerville and Springfield.
Hampden County is the Bay State’s solely county not listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction, regardless of being house to Holyoke and Springfield.
“Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes,” officers stated in a launch. “DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”
Officers additionally famous that the listing “will be updated regularly.”
Since Trump gained final November’s election, Gov. Healey has repeatedly declared that Massachusetts is just not a sanctuary state and that she believes “violent criminals should be deported if they’re not here lawfully.”
Whereas Healey served as legal professional common in 2017, the state Supreme Judicial Courtroom dominated that native regulation enforcement can not maintain aliens based mostly solely on a civil immigration detainer issued by federal officers past the time they might in any other case be launched from custody.
Per week after saying that “some” of Trump’s selections on the border make “a lot of sense,” Healey slammed ICE after the company helped arrest round 40 individuals on Martha’s Winery and Nantucket who’re accused of dwelling in the US illegally.
The governor stated the arrests raised “real questions” about whether or not or not ICE and different federal officers are complying with due course of in Massachusetts and different states.
“It’s concerning when we see people, moms and dads, being ripped away from families,” the governor instructed reporters on the State Home on Wednesday. “Neighbors, coworkers taken away, literally it looks like, on the way to job sites in Nantucket and on the Vineyard.”
Border czar Tom Homan instructed reporters in Washington on Thursday that federal immigration officers will probably be rising “teams greatly,” with “more teams on the streets than you’ve ever seen before” and “more work site enforcement than you’ve ever seen.”
“Martha’s Vineyard isn’t off the table,” Homan stated. “It’s part of the country.”
Amherst officers reported to residents on Wednesday that federal brokers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained two people in separate incidents that morning, emphasizing that the city is a “sanctuary community” and didn’t take part within the actions.
The metropolis of Worcester is just not included within the DHS sanctuary jurisdiction listing. Massachusetts’ second-largest metropolis made headlines earlier this month when activists, together with a metropolis councilor, tried to dam federal brokers from detaining a felony unlawful alien accused of assaulting her pregnant 16-year-old daughter.
That prompted an oblique warning from Massachusetts U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley that her workplace would examine anybody who tries to intervene with ICE operations throughout the Bay State, together with elected officers.
Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy, reacting to the DHS listing, slammed Healey for turning Massachusetts right into a “sanctuary state because of the policies she has proposed and upheld.”
The Bay State skilled a surge in migrant arrivals over the previous two years, putting a pressure on state-run emergency shelters, which Healey has linked to federal inaction on the border.
“As Governor,” Kennealy stated in an announcement shared with the Herald, “I will affirmatively declare that we are not a sanctuary state, begin cooperation with the federal government to remove dangerous criminals from our streets, and petition the administration to remove Massachusetts from this list.”
Healey’s workplace didn’t instantly return a Herald request for remark.
The Massachusetts GOP reacted just by saying, “We are a sanctuary State, that is why we are on the list.”
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