Bill > H1228

This bill aims to clarify the responsibilities of Massachusetts law enforcement agencies regarding federal immigration law enforcement, with the goal of restoring community trust. It defines key terms such as "civil immigration detainer," which is a request from a federal immigration officer to hold an individual, and "administrative warrant," which is a document issued by immigration agencies like ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) but not by a judicial officer. The bill explicitly prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement officers from arresting or detaining individuals solely based on these federal immigration requests or warrants, and from continuing to hold someone after they are otherwise eligible for release from local custody. Furthermore, it prevents inmates from being denied bail solely due to an immigration detainer or warrant, restricts ICE agents' access to inmates and law enforcement facilities for interviews or information sharing, and mandates that law enforcement agencies provide inmates with copies of any immigration documents served upon them. The bill also prohibits law enforcement from transporting individuals directly into ICE custody and requires the collection and quarterly reporting of data related to immigration detainers and warrants to the Attorney General's office, with most of this information to be made public.