Mariachi music filled a crowded community center in Chelsea as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed one of the country’s most expansive state immigration laws. For the families gathered inside La Colaborativa, the ceremony carried significance far beyond politics.
In Chelsea, where more than 40 percent of residents were born outside the United States, immigration enforcement is not an abstract national debate. It can determine whether a parent takes a child to school, a patient visits a clinic or a witness appears in court.
The Promoting Rule of Law, Oversight, Trust and Equal Constitutional Treatment Act, commonly called the PROTECT Act, took effect immediately after Healey signed it on August 5, 2026. The law limits how Massachusetts institutions and law enforcement agencies may participate in federal civil immigration enforcement…