1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I am writing as a Massachusetts resident to demand immediate action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations within our state. ICE has repeatedly harassed residents, conducted warrantless arrests, boxed people in to manufacture “cause,” broken down doors, and violated basic constitutional rights. There have been no meaningful consequences for the deaths of multiple U.S. citizens during or following ICE operations. This lack of accountability is unacceptable. Beyond these actions, there are widespread and well-documented reports of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI): -Illegally detaining U.S. citizens and individuals with lawful immigration status -Transferring detainees between facilities to evade court oversight and judicial orders -Detaining pregnant women in violation of ICE’s own detention standards -Separating families and placing children at risk through negligent or abusive detention practices -Using detention as a profit-driven system that incentivizes prolonged or unlawful confinement These practices violate the Fourth Amendment (unlawful searches and seizures), the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments (due process), the Sixth Amendment (access to counsel), and fundamental protections under Massachusetts law. Masked federal agents refusing to identify themselves while detaining people is not legitimate law enforcement — it is intimidation. Despite these violations, the President and HSI leadership have publicly claimed these actions are “legal.” They are not. Federal agencies do not have authority to override constitutional protections, state law, or court orders. I am demanding that Massachusetts take the following actions: -Prohibit ICE and HSI from operating in Massachusetts without full compliance with state law -Make federal agents subject to prosecution under Massachusetts law when they violate civil or constitutional rights -Require all federal agents operating in the state to clearly display their faces, names, and agency identification -Prevent the transfer of detainees between facilities when such transfers interfere with due process or court oversight -Bar agents who violate Massachusetts law from operating in or fleeing through other states to evade accountability -Fully defund any state or local cooperation with ICE or HSI, including law enforcement assistance, facilities, or resources I am disgusted that Massachusetts law enforcement agencies are in any way assisting federal agencies in violating the rights of our residents. If the federal government cannot or will not restrain ICE and HSI from breaking the Constitution, Massachusetts must act. That includes deploying the National Guard to protect residents if necessary, coordinating with other New England states to form a regional coalition to maintain economic and civic stability, and reevaluating financial cooperation with the federal government. No agency is above the law. Massachusetts has both the authority and the obligation to defend its people