BOSTON — Authorities blasted Governor Maura Healey in a post on X after Healey demanded answers regarding recent immigration crackdowns in Massachusetts.
“Isn’t it rich that the very governor who refuses to share information with federal law enforcement is now demanding information on ICE arrests?” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley and ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a joint statement.
During a press conference on Friday, Healey cited data from two specific ICE enforcement periods in Massachusetts to support her claims that arrests have involved individuals with no prior criminal background.
In May 2025, nearly half of the more than 1,400 people detained reportedly had no criminal history, she said. During another surge in September 2025, the governor asserted that more than half of those taken into custody lacked a criminal background.
“Many of those taken into custody are longstanding members of our communities: parents, caregivers, and workers whose sudden detention leaves their families in crisis,” Healey said.
“She forgets that being in the country illegally is, in fact, illegal. The truth is every single alien arrested during Operations Patriot and Patriot 2.0 was in violation of U.S. immigration law,” Foley and Lyon’s statement continued.
Healey’s letter included a formal request for comprehensive data on all ICE arrests in Massachusetts since January 2025. The data included the names of every person arrested, the legal basis for each detention, and the current location and status of those individuals.
Additionally, the governor asked for the number of parents or primary caregivers arrested and details on what the agency is doing to ensure the safety of children whose parents are detained.
“Why does Governor Healey wish to impede ICE from removing criminal illegal aliens from the Bay State? In Massachusetts, Operations Patriot and Patriot 2.0 resulted in more than 2,860 arrests of criminal illegal aliens many of whom were let into the country under President Biden,” the statement continues.
“Governor Healey should stop using her pulpit to smear ICE and bully private companies. Instead, she should start working with the Trump Administration to put Americans citizens first and keep our New England communities safe from criminal alien offenders.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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