AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL • IRIS
Massachusetts Legislature Passes Immigrant Rights Package

Policy ID

MA-LA-2026-8-5
State Response
Statewide,
MA
Legislative Action

Short Description

The Massachusetts Legislature passed a package of immigrant protection policies, the PROTECT Act, that includes: (1) prohibiting new 287(g) agreements, (2) allowing the governor to prohibit enforcement in nonpublic areas of any state entity, (3) requiring multilingual guidance to all state agencies on how to handle civil immigration enforcement interactions, (4) protecting against civil immigration enforcement at sensitive locations, (5) creating pathways for individuals to sue law enforcement agents over alleged rights violations, (6) allowing parents facing possible detention or deportation to arrange for future guardianship of children, and more.

Date Adopted

08/05/2026

References

See Also

Massachusetts Governor Signs Order Limiting State Cooperation on Immigration Enforcement

01/29/2026
Statewide
Executive Order
MA

New Bedford Police Department Issues Guidance to Officers on ICE Interactions

09/24/2025
New Bedford
Administrative
MA