Bill > S1675

This bill establishes new regulations regarding sanctuary policies in Massachusetts, defining a "sanctuary policy" as any directive or practice that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, such as restricting communication about an individual's immigration status, preventing law enforcement from inquiring about citizenship, or imposing conditions on federal immigration detainer requests. The bill prohibits any state, county, or local governmental entity from adopting such sanctuary policies and imposes significant penalties for non-compliance: entities that enact sanctuary policies will become ineligible for grants and state funding from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The Attorney General is tasked with investigating complaints about potential sanctuary policies, issuing public opinions on violations, and ensuring compliance. If a governmental entity is found to have a sanctuary policy, it will have 120 days to repeal or rescind the policy, or risk losing state funding and potentially facing additional enforcement actions by the Attorney General. The bill broadly defines law enforcement agencies to include state police, campus police, and other agencies charged with law enforcement or detention management, and aims to compel full cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1675