Senate Advances the PROTECT Act

 Senate Advances the PROTECT Act

(BOSTON—4/30/2026) The Massachusetts Senate advanced its version of the PROTECT Act today—a major legislative package to protect the rights of all Massachusetts residents, particularly immigrants, young children, and victims of crimes. Below are statements of support.

Members of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy

Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Senator William N. Brownsberger (D-Belmont), Senator Joanne M. Comerford (D-Northampton), Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton), and Senator Pavel M. Payano (D-Lawrence):

“The actions of federal immigration enforcement officials, at the direction of President Trump and Congressional Republicans, have brought fear and chaos to neighborhoods across Massachusetts and our nation. These actions must be met with a policy response that makes clear that we will defend both the people and the values of this Commonwealth—and which goes as far as we can as a state to deliver protections to the residents of Massachusetts, especially our immigrant communities.

“The Senate version of the PROTECT Act, which builds off the work of Governor Healey and our colleagues in the House of Representatives, is the product of countless conversations with immigrants’ rights advocates, government officials, law enforcement stakeholders, residents of the Commonwealth, and our colleagues in the Senate.

“These conversations have shaped the Senate’s version of this bill, which would:

• Ensure sensitive locations remain places of trust where all residents have the safety they deserve;

• Prohibit state and local law enforcement from engaging in civil immigration enforcement;

• Ban government entities from entering into new 287(g) agreements;

• Protect residents from direct actions by federal law enforcement that violate individual protections under the United States Constitution; and

• Prohibit state and local law enforcement from unnecessarily questioning a person about their immigration or citizenship status or stopping a person because of their citizenship or immigration status.

“We owe it to our residents to stand up for all who call Massachusetts home and live up to the values we aspire to—liberty and justice for all.”