Newton and state lawmakers are rallying behind the PROTECT Act, a new bill aimed at limiting local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, to solidify statewide constitutional safeguards.
“People are scared,” Rep. Amy Sangiolo wrote in a statement to The Heights. “Because it is clear that our federal government does not have our backs, we need to know that our state and local governments do.”
On Jan. 28, Massachusetts Representatives Andres Vargas of Haverhill and Judith Garcia of Chelsea presented the act. Over 80 House representatives have signed onto the bill, including two of the three representatives of the Newton area: Representatives Greg Schwartz and Sangiolo.
Vargas and Garcia are both members of the Black and Latino Caucus, which worked directly with immigrants, immigrant advocate organizations, and the attorney general’s office in order to create a “thoughtful bill,” according to Sangiolo.
“I signed on because I support my colleagues in the Black and Latino Caucus,” Sangiolo wrote.
The act would restrict local cooperation with ICE to instances involving serious criminal cases only. Requiring public notice and comment before approval, the act would prohibit civil ICE arrests at courthouses to prevent discouraging immigrants from participating in legal processes, support timely state certification for nonimmigrant visas to protect eligible immigrants from deportation during visa adjudication, and authorize the attorney general to enforce compliance if these protections are violated.
The legislation echoes a wave of local action across Massachusetts. This past Thursday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order to “protect Bostonians from unconstitutional and violent federal operations,” while Newton Mayor Marc Laredo signed a similar order for Newton on the same day.
In an interview with The Heights, Schwartz emphasized how important this act is for him and his constituents.
“I was very happy to stand with them when they introduced it last Wednesday … and to co-sponsor it as soon as I had the opportunity,” Schwartz said. “It is my duty as a representative in the state legislature to do what I can to encourage the Constitution and the constitutional protections to be followed, and my constituents in both Newton and Brookline have been very clear that they want that.”
Sangiolo articulated similar motives for signing onto the act.
“The Newton residents that I represent want to feel safe in our communities,” Sangiolo wrote. “They are alarmed by what they are seeing in other cities and towns across the country and want to know that our local police remain focused on protecting their safety and not on civil immigration enforcement—that our immigrant community is afforded access to due process and the ability to move freely in our community.”
In terms of the legislation itself, Schwartz explained how, amid many efforts by the House to create immigration enforcement legislation, he was happy with the way that the PROTECT Act brought together a multitude of protections in a focused way.
“With the PROTECT Act, what I was happy about is it distilled a number of these protections that we’ve been proposing legislation about and have been moving through the legislature over the past year and a half, and they distilled it into a very focused bill that has the strong support of many folks in the building,” Schwartz said.
While Schwartz is optimistic about the act and its potential impact, he wanted to make it clear that constituents should continue to practice caution during these unstable times.
“We don’t want to create a situation where immigrants believe they’re safer than they are, and you know, end up in a situation where they aren’t protected,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz assured that he and his fellow representatives are attempting to move the act forward swiftly.
“I can tell you in the house, we are very focused on trying to move this … to make sure that we’re moving quickly, in the most efficient way, and to get everyone’s input,” Schwartz said.
Although the House has not yet voted on the PROTECT Act, many of its proposed measures have already been implemented at the state level. Just one day after the bill’s introduction, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a statewide executive order and proposed a companion bill that included similar protections.
