Background: The Hodgson Era

Bristol County under Sheriff Thomas Hodgson (1997-2022) was one of the most aggressive ICE-collaborating jurisdictions in the entire country:

• Ran a 287(g) program at the Bristol County House of Correction
• Built a political brand around hardline immigration enforcement
• May 1, 2020: Three ICE detainees hospitalized after violent incident with correctional officers during COVID testing; >$25,000 facility damage reported
• December 2020: MA Attorney General concluded Hodgson violated civil rights of detainees via excessive force
• May 2021: DHS terminated the ICE contract, citing mistreatment of detainees
• Bristol County Sheriff’s Office paid $800,000 settlement in lawsuit over detainee treatment
• Hodgson later appointed by Trump to senior DHS/ICE role

Sources: NBC Boston — Biden cancels Bristol County ICE contract; TPR — ICE ends relationship with Hodgson; WBSM — $800K settlement

The Reversal: Sheriff Heroux (2023-Present)

Sheriff Paul Heroux enacted a transformative policy on November 25, 2025:

Core policy: ICE officers must now file formal public records requests to obtain any information about detainees, court hearings, bail dates, or release times. Previously, staff routinely shared this information directly.

The policy states that absent “an active criminal detainer or criminal arrest warrant signed by a federal judicial officer,” all ICE information requests go through the Records Access Officer for review under Massachusetts Public Records Law.

Impact

• January-November 2025: 29 inmates transferred to ICE custody
• Late November 2025 - Late January 2026: Zero ICE transfers from jail facilities
• ICE has filed zero public records requests since the policy took effect

Sheriff Heroux cited the $800,000 settlement as reason: cooperating with ICE “exposes us to legal liability.”

Source: New Bedford Light — Bristol County sheriff restricting ICE info-sharing

Why It Matters

Bristol County represents one of the most dramatic reversals in the national detention landscape — from one of the most aggressive ICE-collaborating sheriffs in the country to an information firewall that has produced zero ICE transfers. The Heroux policy is a model for other jurisdictions that want to limit ICE cooperation without passing formal sanctuary legislation. The legal liability framing — rather than moral or political framing — may make it more replicable in moderate jurisdictions.