Last month, ICE detained nearly 1,500 people in Massachusetts, including longtime residents, workers, taxpayers, parents, and neighbors who contribute deeply to our communities. Two bills before the state legislature would help prevent the deportation of our immigrant friends and neighbors and protect their access to justice and protection. It’s time for Massachusetts to act!

Please ask your state legislators to co-sponsor the Immigrant Legal Defense Act, and the Safe Communities Act. We’ve won the support of many legislators, but we need many more to get these bills across the finish line this session!

The Immigrant Legal Defense Act would create a statewide program to provide free legal defense for low-income immigrants in deportation proceedings.

• Why it matters: There is no right to a government-paid lawyer in immigration court. Immigrants who cannot afford a lawyer must navigate our complex immigration system alone—a nearly impossible task. In fact, immigrants in detention are 10 times less likely to win relief from deportation if they do not have a lawyer.

The Safe Communities Act would limit voluntary police and court involvement in deportations, protect basic rights, and keep law enforcement agencies focused on public safety - not civil immigration enforcement.

• Why it matters: State and local involvement in deportations discourages immigrant victims of crime and exploitation from seeking police and court protection—whether from domestic violence, wage theft, or unsafe living or working conditions. Immigrant communities need certainty that contact with local authorities will not result in family separation.

YOUR LEGISLATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU. TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Email your legislators today and urge them to co-sponsor both of these vital bills. Together, we can uphold due process, rebuild trust, and make Massachusetts safer for everyone.