Trump administration identifies Massachusetts as sanctuary state, lists 12 communities put ‘on notice’

In the eyes of the Trump administration, Massachusetts is a sanctuary state despite repeated declarations from Gov. Maura Healey to the contrary.

The Department of Homeland Security has placed 12 Bay State municipalities, and all but one of the 14 counties, on a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, sending a warning to identified communities across the nation.

“These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Thursday. “We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law.

“President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first,” the secretary added. “Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.”

The list comes after President Trump signed an executive order last month that directed Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi to track down and present jurisdictions that “refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”

The Massachusetts municipalities deemed to be “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws” are Amherst, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Concord, Holyoke, Lawrence, Newton, Northampton, Orleans, Somerville and Springfield.

Hampden County is the Bay State’s only county not listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction, despite being home to Holyoke and Springfield.

“Each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its non-compliance with Federal statutes,” officials said in a release. “DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.”

Officials also noted that the list “will be updated regularly.”

Since Trump won last November’s election, Gov. Healey has repeatedly declared that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state and that she believes “violent criminals should be deported if they’re not here lawfully.”

While Healey served as attorney general in 2017, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled that local law enforcement cannot hold aliens based solely on a civil immigration detainer issued by federal officials beyond the time they would otherwise be released from custody.

A week after saying that “some” of Trump’s decisions at the border make “a lot of sense,” Healey slammed ICE after the agency helped arrest around 40 people on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket who are accused of living in the United States illegally.

The governor said the arrests raised “real questions” about whether or not ICE and other federal officials are complying with due process in Massachusetts and other states.

“It’s concerning when we see people, moms and dads, being ripped away from families,” the governor told reporters at the State House on Wednesday. “Neighbors, coworkers taken away, literally it looks like, on the way to job sites in Nantucket and on the Vineyard.”

Border czar Tom Homan told reporters in Washington on Thursday that federal immigration officials will be increasing “teams greatly,” with “more teams on the streets than you’ve ever seen before” and “more work site enforcement than you’ve ever seen.”

“Martha’s Vineyard isn’t off the table,” Homan said. “It’s part of the country.”

Amherst officials reported to residents on Wednesday that federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained two individuals in separate incidents that morning, emphasizing that the town is a “sanctuary community” and did not participate in the actions.

The city of Worcester is not included in the DHS sanctuary jurisdiction list. Massachusetts’ second-largest city made headlines earlier this month when activists, including a city councilor, attempted to block federal agents from detaining a criminal illegal alien accused of assaulting her pregnant 16-year-old daughter.

That prompted an indirect warning from Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley that her office would investigate anyone who tries to interfere with ICE operations across the Bay State, including elected officials.

Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy, reacting to the DHS list, slammed Healey for turning Massachusetts into a “sanctuary state because of the policies she has proposed and upheld.”

The Bay State experienced a surge in migrant arrivals over the past two years, placing a strain on state-run emergency shelters, which Healey has connected to federal inaction at the border.

“As Governor,” Kennealy said in a statement shared with the Herald, “I will affirmatively declare that we are not a sanctuary state, begin cooperation with the federal government to remove dangerous criminals from our streets, and petition the administration to remove Massachusetts from this list.”

Healey’s office did not immediately return a Herald request for comment.

The Massachusetts GOP reacted simply by saying, “We are a sanctuary State, that is why we are on the list.”

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