Massachusetts will 'absolutely not' comply with Trump order to assist in deporting illegal immigrants

Speaking with MSNBC on Wednesday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said her state would not comply with the incoming Trump administration in assisting with deportations of illegal immigrants. "If the Trump administration requests it, would the Massachusetts State Police assist in mass deportations?" MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell asked.

"No, absolutely not," Healey replied. "But let me say this, I do think it's important that we all recognize that there's going to be a lot of pressure on states and state officials, and I can assure you, we're going to work really hard to deliver."

"Some realities also need to be, you know, noted, and that is, in 2016 we had a very different situation in the courts. And, well, I'm sure there may be litigation ahead. You know, there's a lot of other ways that people are going to act and need to act for the sake of their states and their residents. There's regulatory authority and executive powers and the like. There's legislation also within our state."

She added, "I think that the key here is that, you know, every tool in the toolbox has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states, and certainly to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law, as a basic principle."

During his campaign, Trump vowed to deport illegal immigrants from the country after a record number entered the US under the Biden-Harris administration. This campaign promise was supported by Americans, with a poll from early October revealing that 59 percent of Americans supported it. 

Massachusetts has seen a large number of illegal immigrants arrive in the sanctuary state, and in August it was revealed that a record 44,000 deportation cases were filed by the US Department of Homeland Security in the first nine months of the 2024 fiscal year. 

A report from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that the state is facing a "fiscal time bomb" over the number of illegal immigrants that have been allowed into the state, with the state paying hundreds of millions on housing and welfare programs for illegal immigrants.