States move to bar ICE at sensitive sites
A wave of state actions is restricting ICE enforcement at ‘sensitive locations’ — New Jersey just passed laws limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and Massachusetts’ House advanced a ban on ICE courthouse arrests, signaling a regional push to protect immigrant access to services and courts. These measures are being pitched as local limits on federal power and could influence Vermont policy debates on courthouse, polling‑place, and other protections. (reuters.com) (eagletribune.com) (wvtf.org)
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a three‑bill package on March 25, 2026 that codifies the state’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive, limits when state actors can assist federal immigration enforcement and restricts data‑sharing about residents. (politico.com) The New Jersey measures include a law to require visible identification and unmasking by officers during certain public interactions and a separate privacy bill that narrows state collection and disclosure of immigration‑related personal identifiers. (njspotlightnews.org) Massachusetts lawmakers advanced the PROTECT Act (filed as H.5158 / docketed HD.5608), a bill sponsored by Reps. Andres X. Vargas and Judith A. Garcia that would bar warrantless civil immigration arrests in state courthouses and curtail certain local cooperation with ICE. (malegislature.gov) The PROTECT Act’s provisions would require a judge‑signed warrant for most courthouse civil arrests, restrict new 287(g) deputation agreements, and mandate language‑access and secure detainee‑locator systems at facilities holding civil immigration detainees. (wgbh.org) Vermont’s S.209, sponsored by Senators Tanya Vyhovsky and six Democratic co‑sponsors, passed the Senate (third‑reading ordered 27–2) and would expand the state’s “sensitive locations” shield to add government buildings, schools, community shelters and health‑care facilities. (legislature.vermont.gov) House Bill H.850, introduced by Rep. Conor Casey, would require federal immigration authorities to present a judicial warrant before entering nonpublic areas of sensitive locations and would limit Department of Corrections assistance to federal immigration enforcement. (legislature.vermont.gov) Legal pushback is already visible: the Justice Department sued California over state laws banning masked federal agents and requiring ID, and New Jersey and Roxbury filed a federal suit this month seeking to block a planned 1,000–1,500‑bed ICE detention center. (politico.com) (nj.gov)
