Gov. Maura Healey called on federal immigration officials Monday to stop using private aircraft at Hanscom Field airport to move people out of state “without due process of law.”
In a Dec. 12 letter to Secretary of Defense Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, Healey demanded the agency “immediately stop using any Massachusetts airports and private jets to deport residents and obstruct due process, and to halt this practice across this country.”
Asked how and when she became aware of the situation at Hanscom, Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand said that Healey “was alerted to it by advocates.”
ICE did not respond to a News Service inquiry about Healey’s claims, why the agency might be using Hanscom, and when that use began.
Located in Bedford, Hanscom Field is a regional aviation facility managed by the quasi-public Massachusetts Port Authority.
Asked about details of ICE-related flights out of Hanscom, MassPort Director of Media Relations Jennifer Mehigan said, " ‘ICE flights’ refer to charter flights operated by fixed-based operators at Hanscom. Massport does not receive prior knowledge of these flights, nor does the Authority have a role in their operation."
“The flight information we receive does not indicate which flights are operated by or are associated with ICE. We would refer you to the federal government for specific data on those flights,” Mehigan added.
Healey, in her Friday letter, said ICE’s use of private aircraft at Hanscom “to quickly remove residents and sever them from their family, friends, and counsel without due process of law” is part of ICE’s “disturbing and anti-American deportation tactics.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced that its enforcement operations have led to more than 605,000 deportations since Jan. 20, 2025.
“DHS has prioritized removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to return law and order to the United States,” a Dec. 10 release said.
Another 1.9 million people have “voluntarily self-deported” since January, according to DHS.
“As you well know, a significant majority of people detained by ICE in Massachusetts over the past year have no criminal convictions or charges,” Healey wrote. “They are hard-working, productive, and beloved members of our community that you have indiscriminately targeted for deportation proceedings. Many of them are in the midst of a lawful process seeking citizenship through Massachusetts courts.”
During ICE’s recent weeks-long enforcement operation in September, the agency reported apprehending more than 1,400 people. DHS said that more than 600 people arrested “had significant criminal convictions or pending criminal charges for crimes committed in the United States or were known foreign fugitives.”
Healey, in her Monday statement, referred to reporting from “The New York Times,” which shows that 63% of immigrants arrested by ICE in major operations in Massachusetts between Sept. 4 and Sept. 30 had no criminal charges against them.
“Flying these residents out of state and away from their support systems and legal counsel — often within hours of arrest — is intentionally cruel and purposely obstructs the due process and legal representation they are owed,” Healey wrote.
Immigrant advocates have been calling on state lawmakers to protect immigrants who might be targeted by federal immigration officials. They’ve rallied at or near the State House, and some recently testified in favor of bills they say would make a dent in the issue locally.
After Healey’s office released her letter, the Massachusetts Democratic Party late Monday called on three Republican candidates for governor to “denounce ICE’s Use of Hanscom airport for deportations.”
“The silence by Brian Shortsleeve, Mike Kennealy,, and Mike Minogue on all ICE matters speaks volumes,” party chair Steve Kerrigan said in a statement.
The Massachusetts Communities Action Network on Tuesday plans to gather faith groups to hold a press conference and multifaith prayer vigil at 10 a.m. at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum Area to “take action for immigrant justice” and “protect the people and sovereignty of Massachusetts.”
Clergy and lay leaders will be “calling on the governor to use her executive authority to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of Massachusetts residents — especially immigrants — in the face of harmful federal actions,” according to the Essex County Community Organization, a multi-faith network based in Lynn. ,
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