BOSTON ― Proponents of a bill proposing that Massachusetts become a “sanctuary state,” where the legal status of residents interacting with state and local law enforcement is protected from release to federal immigration officials, is a matter of ensuring that the right to due process for all who live in the Bay State.
The measure, the proponents claim, would help forge bonds of trust between local law enforcement officials and the immigrant community, taking the fear of deportation out of interactions ranging from reporting a crime, to driving without a driver’s license, to being arrested on a criminal offense.
“The bill has come a long way since it was first introduced in 2017,” said Amy Grunder, director of state government affairs for the Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Coalition, during a hearing Monday of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. “It incorporates the best advice from conversations with police chiefs, district attorneys and advocacy groups.”