On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing to take up a new bill that would allow illegal immigrants and anyone who is arrested or detained to sue all federal officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who took them into custody.
The hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday, is on proposal S. 2976 – An Act Relative to Violations of the United States Constitution Under the Color of Law. Originally filed by Sen. William Brownsberger in February, the proposed act “will create liability for violations of the United States Constitution by any officer acting under color of law — whether state or federal,” according to a post on his website.
Brownsberger, who noted that excessive use of force by officers is a violation of civil rights in the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, stated that this is the latest as “part of a larger package of measures.”
The initiative was launched by Massachusetts State Senate President Karen Spilka in December of last year to “counter actions by the federal government that would have a significant negative impact on Massachusetts and its residents.” The Committee on Steering and Policy has since been tasked with analyzing how actions taken by the second Trump Administration will impact the state and identifying policy solutions.
The new bill would be the next iteration in response to ICE’s presence amid statewide efforts to protect civilian rights. Back in February, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson issued an executive order limiting the use of City property and resources for federal civil immigration enforcement officers. City of Lynn employees or officials also cannot inquire about a person’s immigration status during their routine duties.
In March, over 100 Lynn community leaders, organizations, and labor unions gathered at the Commons to demand that even more actions be taken in Lynn, including having ICE out of the Lynn Police Station, as well as the Lynn District Courts. They also called for a portion of the City budget to prioritize legal assistance to immigrants impacted by ICE or other agencies.
Most recently, at a ‘No Kings’ rally in Boston, Gov. Maura Healey spoke to a crowd of 180,000 people and urged them to continue speaking out. “That’s why in Massachusetts, I’m keeping ICE out of our schools, our daycare centers, our hospitals, our courthouses, and they’re not going to be on state property,” she said. “And don’t even think about building a detention center here — not going to happen in Massachusetts, ever.”
