Sheriff Donna Buckley spoke on the Falmouth Green yesterday about the PROTECT act that is moving through the Massachusetts legislative process. Based on her comments, an Indivisible Falmouth volunteer crafted a letter, and we used a bit of AI to enhance it. We hope you will copy and paste it into an email and to send out to Senator Fernandes or Cyr. People are telling us that they have gotten automated responses, and also that their email just bounced. Well, just do your best!
The deadline for public comment is March 30th so it’s urgent! (DOC is Department of Corrections.)
Please paste the text below into an email, add your name and address, edit as you see fit, and send to Senator Cyr or Fernandes, whichever is your senator. (If you don’t know it’s fine to send to both!)
You can download a pdf version (easier), HERE
Dear Senator ________,
As the PROTECT Act moves from the Massachusetts House to the Senate, I am writing to urge you to ensure that several critical provisions are included — or excluded — in the final version of the bill. I have three specific asks.
1. Ban all 287(g) agreements — including renewal of the existing DOC agreement.
Massachusetts should not be in the business of doing ICE’s work. The current agreement allowing Plymouth County Correctional Facility to detain individuals on behalf of ICE uses state resources to hold people who have not been convicted of any crime. The financial compensation Massachusetts receives does not justify the human cost or the reputational harm to our Commonwealth. DOC must not be permitted to enter into, renew, or extend any 287(g) agreements.
My ask: Include an explicit prohibition on all 287(g) agreements, including renewal of the current DOC agreement.
2. Require judicial warrants for all ICE detentions.
The vast majority of ICE arrests in Massachusetts involve families — including children — whose only offense is being undocumented. Administrative warrants, signed by ICE agents themselves, do not meet the constitutional standard that protects all people in this country. Only a warrant signed by a judge provides meaningful judicial oversight.
My ask: Require a judicially-signed warrant before any individual may be detained or transferred to ICE custody.
3. Require ICE agents to identify themselves and prohibit face masks during enforcement operations.
Unidentified, masked agents conducting arrests on Massachusetts streets undermine public trust and make it impossible for residents to know whether they are dealing with legitimate law enforcement. The claim that masks are necessary for agent safety is contradicted by the fact that ICE agents deployed to Massachusetts airports — in a far more public-facing role — do not wear them.
My ask: Include a provision requiring ICE agents operating in Massachusetts to identify themselves and prohibiting the use of face coverings during enforcement actions.
Massachusetts has always been a leader on civil rights and human dignity. I urge you to ensure the final PROTECT Act lives up to that legacy. I look forward to your response on each of these points.
Sincerely, [Your name]
Indivisible Outer Cape 