The Paradox

Massachusetts is the only blue state where the governor explicitly defends a 287(g) agreement while simultaneously issuing executive orders to limit ICE. Governor Maura Healey has:

• Banned new 287(g) agreements (EO 650, January 2026)
• Filed legislation to ban ICE from courthouses, schools, hospitals
• Demanded ICE stop deportation flights from Hanscom
• Launched an ICE misconduct reporting portal

But she has also:

• Publicly defended the DOC’s 287(g) agreement, saying she “supports that agreement”
• Touted it in a TV interview, citing getting “bad guys off the streets”
• Has the unilateral authority to terminate it but has not done so

Source: Bolts Mag — Inside ICE’s only contract with a blue state

The DOC 287(g) Agreement

• Active since 2007 — nearly 20 years
• 2,047 total transfers to ICE since 2009
• 78-172 people per year transferred from state prisons to ICE custody
• 581 people released to immigration authorities from 2020 through January 2026
• DOC officers screen prisoners for immigration status and notify ICE before release

Legislative Challenge

• S.997 (Sen. Adam Gomez): Would prohibit state prisons and law enforcement from entering or renewing 287(g) agreements
• Safe Communities Act (S.1681): Would ban all 287(g)
• PROTECT Act (passed House March 2026): Limits cooperation but does not eliminate existing DOC 287(g)

Sources: VisaVerge — DOC sole state entity with 287(g); Boston Globe — DOC 287(g) agreement details

Why It Matters

The DOC 287(g) creates a prison-to-deportation pipeline that operates silently compared to the visible courthouse arrests and Burlington conditions. While the state battles ICE on multiple fronts, this pipeline quietly transfers 100+ people per year from state prisons directly to ICE custody — with the governor’s explicit support. This exposes the political calculus: defending a pipeline that targets people already convicted of crimes is politically safer than defending sanctuary for all undocumented immigrants. The paradox undermines the state’s broader sanctuary positioning and gives advocates an uncomfortable reality check about blue-state immigration politics.