Bill > S1683

This bill establishes two key provisions to address immigration enforcement and community safety in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. First, the bill prohibits state and local government agencies from creating or participating in registration or check-in programs that target individuals based on characteristics like religion, national origin, race, or citizenship status. If a federal program attempts to create such a registry, Massachusetts agencies are forbidden from expending resources to support it, accessing its information, or sharing data with such a program. The bill includes narrow exceptions for standard immigration data collection, visa processing, and citizenship services. Second, the bill creates a framework for local law enforcement to detain individuals at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but only under specific conditions. Detention is only permissible if a supervisory officer determines the individual poses a significant public safety threat, based on criteria such as prior convictions for serious crimes like terrorism, felonies, domestic violence, or drug trafficking. Any such detention is limited to 48 hours unless a judicial officer confirms probable cause, and the bill explicitly states that it does not create a private right of action for legal challenges. The overall aim appears to be balancing immigration enforcement with protecting individual rights and limiting potentially discriminatory enforcement practices.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1683