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"The relationship between the state and federal government used to work, but that’s completely broken right now," Gov. Maura Healey said.

Gov. Maura Healey spoke at the No Kings Day protest in March. Finn Gomez for The Boston Globe

As she continues to warn about the tactics of federal immigration authorities, Gov. Maura Healey issued new guidance Thursday for schools, health care facilities, and places of worship on how to interact with ICE agents. 

Broadly, the guidance recommends that these institutions designate certain employees as primary points of contact for ICE, protect confidential information, create standards for documenting ICE interactions, and demand that federal agents present judicial warrants before entering nonpublic areas. 

“I wish we didn’t have to be here today to continue to have to defend our residents from unlawful and harmful actions by federal agents. But the Trump administration and ICE have shown no signs of changing course,” Healey said. 

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The guidance was required under an executive order Healey signed in January. That order prohibited ICE from making civil arrests in nonpublic areas of state buildings and banned the use of state property for staging immigration enforcement operations. It also prohibited any agencies under the executive branch from entering into new 287(g) agreements with the federal government. These agreements let local law enforcement officers enforce certain aspects of immigration law. 

Alongside the executive order, Healey unveiled legislation earlier this year to prevent ICE officers from operating in schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Different versions of the legislation passed through the state Senate and the House in recent months, and lawmakers from both chambers are currently working to reconcile these differences before a final version can be sent to Healey’s desk. 

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At a press conference Thursday, Healey blamed ICE for “storming” into neighborhoods, separating parents from their children, assaulting protesters, and detaining lawful residents. The federal government is continuing to rebuff her attempts at learning all the identities of those who have been arrested by ICE under the current Trump administration, she said. 

“The relationship between the state and federal government used to work, but that’s completely broken right now. You see what ICE is doing and what ICE continues to do. It’s a campaign of fear. It’s meant to intimidate, and it has real ramifications for people here,” the governor said. 

The documents released Thursday contain a number of specific recommendations for schools and child care facilitieshospitals and health care centers, and places of worship

In March, Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell launched a portal for residents to report incidents of alleged ICE misconduct. 

The recommendations come as Massachusetts prepares to host an influx of international travelers for the World Cup. The timing of this guidance is not related to the upcoming tournament, and state officials are actively working with federal law enforcement partners to ensure public safety throughout the World Cup, Healey said. But she also stressed that there is “absolutely no place for ICE at the World Cup.”

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There is additional animosity between Healey and the Trump administration over the issuance of confidential, or undercover, license plates for ICE vehicles. The Department of Justice picked a fight over the topic earlier this month, threatening legal action if Healey refused to rescind a state policy about the issuance of these plates. The DOJ followed through on its threat Wednesday, suing Massachusetts and three other states over their confidential license plate policies. The Massachusetts policy endangers federal agents and undermines public safety, DOJ lawyers wrote in their complaint

Healey said she does not plan on shying away from that fight. 

“We’re not going to allow them to operate in secret as they take people off our streets without cause,” Healey said. “We’re going to protect public safety, and we’re not going to back down on that.”

Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment news reporter for Boston.com since 2022, covers local politics, crime, the environment, and more.

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