Last week, the Massachusetts Senate took a historic step by passing the PROTECT Act (S.3072) with a bipartisan vote of 37–3. Senators filed 76 amendments during debate, with 7 ultimately adopted into the final Senate version of the bill.
The Senate bill includes a clear prohibition against any new 287(g) “collaboration” agreements with ICE, which delegate civil immigration authority to correctional personnel, and spells out limitations on informal collaboration, all of which MIRA has supported as part of the Protecting Massachusetts Communities coalition.
It also introduces several new provisions to the House bill, including state remedies for violations of U.S. Constitutional rights; enhanced protections for sensitive locations like child care centers, schools, health care settings, places of worship, and courthouses; and protections against federal interference in elections and deployment of National Guard troops from other states. The Senate version does not include the House section creating protections for people held in federal detention in Massachusetts facilities.
The next step is a conference committee, where House and Senate negotiators will work to reconcile the differences between the two bills before sending a final version to Governor Healey for her signature.
Under new legislative rules adopted this session, lawmakers technically have until early January to finalize a compromise bill. Under previous rules, negotiations would have needed to conclude by July 31. That means it is critical that we continue advocating for a swift outcome and a strong final bill.