A quick setback for one of the Trump administration’s immigration directives came Thursday, with a federal judge blocking the executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens and non-permanent residents.
Communities in Massachusetts and across the country have been on edge over President Donald Trump’s move to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make arrests in sensitive areas like schools, churches and courthouses.
Federal agents could be seen at multiple locations in Greater Boston Wednesday, including in East Boston, where at least one person appeared to have been taken into custody, and in Everett, where neighbors told NBC10 Boston at least one person was detained.
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ICE is reportedly targeting people with criminal records.
The early moves have drawn outrage, applause and a measured response from Gov. Maura Healey.
“It’s in the normal work that federal law enforcement does, and that ICE does, in terms of removing threats to the community, specifically those who have engaged in criminal activity,” said Healey.
In Chelsea, officials said ICE was in the city Wednesday night, but no arrests were made to their knowledge.
Officials in the Bay State are trying to calm fears, saying there have been no mass roundups yet, reminding the public that local police are barred from enforcing immigration laws.
Neighbors on Morris Street in Everett were surprised to learn about federal police out in the community.
A Brazilian national told NBC10 Boston he feels at ease, adding that if anyone arrested is a criminal, then justice must be served.
“As long as you’re not a violent criminal, you shouldn’t worry,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria.
The mayor said ICE agents are only targeting high-priority criminals.
Everett is not a sanctuary city. Chief Paul Strong of the Everett Police Department said his officers often collaborate with ICE.
“We are being told that there are going to be no mass roundups,” he said.
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Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said she’s ready to respond if ICE goes beyond picking up criminals.
“With the fearmongering, and also the rhetoric that is coming out of the current administration, yes, there is concerns that there is a possibility that they will try to round up people unlawfully, and that’s where we will hold them accountable,” she said.
At her State of the Commonwealth address and again on Thursday, Healey voiced support for deporting violent criminals and committed to working with the Trump administration in those situations.
She also reiterated that she won’t compromise on Massachusetts’ values.
One area of tension already emerging surrounds Trump’s economic plans.
“If the president puts tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico, that’s going to croak our businesses,” said Healey. “It’s going to raise the cost of goods for residents on everything.”
While she works to shine the spotlight on those specific policies, immigration will likely demand more effort in the days ahead.
Immigration advocates and Republicans are lamenting the state’s response thus far.
“It’s disappointing to me that I see that Healey has sort of caved to some of this anti-immigrant rhetoric, in the way that she’s put a lot of restrictions on our family shelter system,” said Annie Gonzalez of the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network.
“She used taxpayer funding to house and feed these people and allowed them to live here and to commit more crime,” said MassGOP Executive Director John Milligan.
The White House said ICE has made about 500 arrests in the country this week, just slightly above the normal average.
“Let the federal government do the job that they’ve been mandated to do and just step out of the way,” said GOP State Committee Member Stephanie Mulroy.
Mulroy applauds the president’s immigration actions, adding that although she’s not fully versed on the latest court injunction against Trump on birthright citizenship, she supports his order.
“It’s the beginning of a conversation that we need to have as a country,” she said. “We’ve amended our Constitution before. It should be taken very seriously.”
Whatever may come, Healey says her perspective remains the same.
“I still remain opposed to efforts to target large swaths of an undocumented population,” she said.
ICE said Thursday that it was reviewing NBC10 Boston’s multiple request for more information on its operations in Massachusetts.