Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) on Thursday introduced legislation that would make it unlawful for another state’s National Guard to be deployed to Massachusetts.
A news release from Healey’s office said the proposed restriction stems from President Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops from other states into cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles despite opposition from local and state leaders.
“These deployments have drained resources, taken members of the Guard away from their day jobs, and have not made anyone safer,” the news release said. “Governor Healey is the Commander of the Massachusetts National Guard, and her legislation would make it unlawful for a military force under the control of another state’s Governor to enter Massachusetts without her permission.”
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The restriction is part of a broader raft of measures aimed at curbing federal immigration enforcement in the state.
The proposal also seeks to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from conducting certain civil enforcement actions in “protected spaces” such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship.
The proposal comes amid heightened national debate over the role of the National Guard in domestic operations.
National Guard units typically operate under dual authority of state governors and, when federalized, the president. State governors command National Guard forces for domestic emergencies, but units can be federalized for national missions.
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Legal debates over deployments have surfaced, such as when a Tennessee judge blocked a National Guard deployment to Memphis on state law grounds, finding that it likely exceeded statutory authority.
Healey framed her National Guard and ICE proposal as a part of a broader push to protect Massachusetts residents from federal immigration enforcement actions she views as heavy-handed.
In addition to the National Guard provision, the legislation would prohibit ICE from making civil arrests in nonpublic areas of state facilities and prevent the state from entering the new agreements that deputize local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law unless there is a public safety need.
Healy’s executive order follows the Department of Homeland Security’s backing out of operations in Massachusetts’s neighbor, Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said Thursday that the Trump administration has agreed to end a large-scale ICE surge in Maine, titled Operation Catch of the Day, after she raised concerns regarding the agency’s tactics.
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Collins raised concerns after two U.S. citizens were killed during federal enforcement operations in Minnesota.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem informed Collins that while normal long-term operations will continue, enhanced activities in the state have ceased.
