The wet weather continues today, before improving for the weekend. But first, the news: On Beacon Hill: Massachusetts lawmakers have reached a deal on what they believe is among the strongest immigrant protection bills in the country. After the House and Senate passed differing versions of the so-called PROTECT Act this spring, Beacon Hill leaders announced a compromise yesterday. It comes after the Trump administration's aggressive national deportation campaign and the fatal shooting of several by people by ICE agents. And if all goes according to plan, it will be on Gov. Maura Healey's desk by the end of the week. Here are five things to know: - The deal is closer to what Healey proposed: A big difference between the House bill and the proposals by the Senate and Healey was where it would prohibit ICE from making arrests without a criminal warrant. The House focused solely on courthouses, while the Senate and Healey wanted to shield a wider range of "sensitive" spaces: courthouses, plus schools, child care centers, healthcare facilities and houses of worship. In the end, negotiators decided to include all of those in the compromise, except one: houses of worship. Some legal experts have said the protections on non-state-owned spaces could invite legal challenges, but state Sen. Cindy Friedman, one the the bill's chief negotiators, said she believes they're on "very solid ground."
- Statewide limits on cooperation with ICE: For nearly a decade, Massachusetts police departments have been bound by a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that says local law enforcement agencies cannot arrest or hold a person based solely on a civil immigration detainer, though the exact level of cooperation with ICE varies from department to department. The compromise bill codifies that ruling — known as the Lunn decision — into state law. It also generally bans local police from questioning a person about their immigration status or stopping someone because of their immigration status, unless a criminal matter is involved.
- No new 287(g) agreements: The bill prohibits local county sheriffs from signing new 287(g) agreements to help ICE with deportations. However, it leaves the existing 287(g) that the state's Department of Corrections has had with ICE since the Obama years in place. State Rep. Dan Cahill said they felt it was fair to allow cooperation in those cases, as opposed to cases where people were swept up just because they were near someone targeted by ICE. " If you're a detainee or sentenced out of the Department of Corrections, you're there primarily because you have committed a felony," Cahill said.
- More oversight: The bill authorizes State Auditor Diana DiZoglio to audit local immigration detention facilities, like the ICE field office in Burlington, to make sure they're adhering to local laws. It also allows DiZoglio to audit local sheriffs' activities involving ICE. She's supposed to report back on her findings by Jan. 1, 2027.
- It's not all Democrats supporting the bill: The bill is expected to sail through the Democrat-controlled House and Senate — with or without Republican votes. But it does have at least one GOP supporter. State Rep. Marcus Vaughn, a Wrentham Republican, was part of the group that negotiated the bill. "We're here to protect Massachusetts residents ... so I don't look at it from that grandiose view of national politics," he said.
Pay back: Attorney General Andrea Campbell has reached a $500,000 settlement with a Boston-based property management company over what she says are junk fees. Campbell's office said Green Ocean Property Management — which manages 377 rental units in the Boston area, clustered primarily around universities and hospitals — was illegally hitting renters with $250 to $500 charges for things like renewing a lease or getting a new roommate, among other deceptive practices. - Now what: As part of the settlement, Green Ocean agreed not to collect more illegal fees — and the money is going back to impacted tenants.
C-IT-GO, C-IT-RETURN: Perhaps it was an understatement to say Boston's iconic Citgo sign was just being moved slightly. It's actually being fully rebuilt. After removing the sign last month, Citgo and Suffolk Construction announced yesterday that work will begin in August to rebuild the sign on its new perch above Kenmore Square — with all new parts, panels and letterings. They're also giving the old sign's "C" to the Kenmore restaurant Cornwall’s to display . Officials said the rebuilt sign will be "fully operational" in November. P.S.— Our arts team's monthly roundup of the best new local music is here. Click here for our music writers' list of the favorite things they listened to this July, from a longtime blue-collar Boston rockers' new album to an anthem of outrage from a western Massachusetts singer-songwriter. |
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