Take Action

Visit https://www.lucemass.org/take-action to join LUCE Immigration Justice Network of Massachusetts in asking Governor Healey to end Massachusetts’ participation in the prison-to-deportation pipeline by:

• Declaring ICE a rogue federal agency operating outside the law
• Restoring COVID-19 era remote participation in our courthouses
• Supporting state legislation, to terminate every state contract funneling money and resources into the deportation machine, and ban new contracts (including the Dignity Not Deportations Bill – H.1588 & S.1122). This includes terminating the existing 287g contracts with the Department of Corrections, and doing everything in your power to end the Intergovernmental Service Agreement with Plymouth County Correctional Facility
• Creating a reparations fund for families and communities shattered by these kidnappings

Dear ____________________:

I urge you to co-sponsor HD.5020, “An Act relative to ensuring emergency preparedness and responsible deployment of the Massachusetts National Guard,” which was introduced by Representative Gentile. Passage of this bill will ensure that the Massachusetts National Guard remains on State Active-Duty status except under clearly defined criteria, such as Congressionally-authorized military operations, formal declarations of disaster, or legally sanctioned homeland security assignments. This bill is also vital for preventing the misuse of the Guard by President Trump, requiring him to follow established precedent and legal guidelines regarding its use in immigration enforcement while also preserving the Guard’s capacity to respond to local emergencies.

President Trump has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted with the National Guard. He used the Guard in an unprecedented manner in Washington, DC during the summer of 2020 in response to protests following George Floyd’s murder, and high-level officials including Jim Mattis, Mark Esper, and General Mark Milley describe taking steps to, as Esper put it in A Sacred Oath (2022), “blunt or redirect any efforts that could politicize the military, misuse the force, and undermine the nation’s security.” Trump’s Chief of Staff, Retired General Mark Kelly had to repeatedly explain to then President Trump why the military should not be used against American citizens. During his second administration, Trump has deployed the National Guard to California and Washington, DC, despite neither the governor nor the mayor requesting military support. This breaks with precedent and, quite possibly, the law. By establishing criteria for its activation, HD.5020 would restrict the use of the Massachusetts National Guard to times of extraordinary need, not the whim of a president. 

Although the military has long operated along the U.S. southern border, experts say the National Guard has not supported ICE in the interior of the country. Permitting this could allow the Guard to act in domestic law enforcement, which is generally prohibited by Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of the military for civilian law enforcement, except in rare cases. This raises concerns about executive overreach and the rise of authoritarianism. While several Republican-led states are offering up their National Guard, Massachusetts should exercise its Title 32 discretion and reject such use of its Guard. This bill would reinforce the Governor’s authority to do so.

The Massachusetts National Guard should be available to help the Commonwealth in case of natural disaster or terrorism. Whether dealing with severe weather events like floods, hurricanes, and blizzards; helping during the COVID-19 pandemic; or responding to terrorist acts like the Boston Marathon bombing; the National Guard exists primarily to serve the people of Massachusetts. Whatever use the Federal Government wants to make of our Guard, this bill will make sure that Massachusetts remains its priority.

Please work to guarantee that the Massachusetts National Guard is here to serve Massachusetts and reduce the likelihood of it being used as a presidential pawn in actions of questionable legality. 

Sincerely,

Dear ____________________:

I urge you to cosponsor the Safe Communities Act and work for its passage through the Massachusetts legislature.  The Senate version (S.1681) is sponsored by Senators Eldridge and Miranda, and the House version (H2580) is sponsored by Representatives Cruz and Souza.

It is important for the Safe Communities Act to become law.  As you know, the Act would

• Prohibit questioning by court and police officials about immigration status.
• Protect basic rights, just like a “Miranda” warning.
• Protect access to justice in our courts.
• Prohibit agreements that deputize local officials as federal immigration agents, at state taxpayer’s expense.

We do not want to see Massachusetts entities signing a 287(g)* agreement, and we want Massachusetts to pass the Safe Communities Act into law. 

We understand that CA, CT, IL, NJ, OR and WA have all enacted laws that keep local law enforcement focused on public safety, not civil immigration enforcement.  We hope that Massachusetts will join them.

Sincerely,

*The 287(g) Program allows law enforcement agencies to enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law, expanding your department’s authority to:

• Identify and process removable aliens with pending or active criminal charges.
• Enforce limited immigration authorities with ICE oversight during routine duties.
• Serve and execute administrative warrants on removable aliens in your jail.

(Source: https://www.ice.gov/287g)

By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of James K. Hawkins and others relative to penalties for law enforcement officers wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties.