POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Worcester’s ICE storm

By Kelly Garrity ON THIN ICE — As federal immigration enforcement actions ramp up in Massachusetts, so is the debate over what level of coordination there should be between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police. A deportation operation in Worcester earlier this month threw the discourse into sharp relief. ICYMI: Two people were arrested by Worcester police after a crowd gathered as ICE officers were attempting to take into custody a woman they said was in the country illegally. The kerfuffle spurred outrage from immigration advocates and hardliners alike. Protesters rallied outside Worcester City Hall , calling on police to do more to shield residents from ICE, while Worcester’s police union and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin took aim at Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who stood in front of the woman in an effort to keep officials from taking her. Days later, Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump’s top deputies, was weighing in on X . The uproar prompted Worcester City Manager Eric Batista to sign an executive order “reaffirming how the Worcester police interacts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” The order prevents city employees from participating in a federal operation “solely for the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws, except in response to a request to assist with support services deemed necessary to ensure officer safety.” But not everyone is satisfied. The measure, critics pointed out, doesn’t require local police to verify that federal officials have the authority to carry out an arrest — by determining they have a warrant, for example. “Worcester police should be involved in protecting the peace in the city of Worcester and enforcing the laws of Massachusetts. I don't think that they should be helping ICE do things that are constitutionally questionable at best,” said Miles Gresham, policy director for Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts, a nonprofit that sent members to the scene as the ICE operation was taking place. Some are calling on more action from the state’s top Democrats. At a rally over the weekend, roughly 100 protesters marched from Boston City Hall to Boston Common, urging Gov. Maura Healey to take a stronger stand against ICE. And a petition circulated by the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts asks the governor to declare ICE “a rogue federal agency operating outside the law.” But others, including Republicans challenging Healey for her seat , have been making the case for more coordination between federal and state officials. A spate of Republican-sponsored bills on Beacon Hill would do just that, though they face long odds of passing without support from Democrats who hold a supermajority in the Legislature. excerpts:  KNOWN AS SLOW ZONE SHORTSLEEVE WHO BUNGLED THE MBTA! THIS INCOMPETENT BOOB IS RUNNING ON HIS RECORD AT THE MBTA? IT'S THE LAW! "If I was governor, on day one, the state police would be cooperating with ICE," former MBTA Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve said in an interview. "I believe that all state, local, municipal police should be cooperating with ICE to make this state safer." Local police are currently prohibited from making arrests based solely on a person's immigration status, under a ruling by the state's high court, as well as local rules in Boston and some other municipalities. BRAIN DEAD TRUMPER MIKE KENNEALY:  GOP’s Mike Kennealy ‘never’ thought MBTA Communities Act would lead to lawsuits Story by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for governor and former housing and economic development secretary, blasted the Healey administration for targeting cities and towns that do not abide by a controversial transit-oriented zoning law with legal action. Kennealy, who served as secretary under former Gov. Charlie Baker, said he did not “foresee a scenario where we’d be suing cities and towns” over the MBTA Communities Act, which requires some municipalities to zone at least one district near a transit hub for multi-family housing. “I never would have thought in a million years the dialog would be what it is now on that one — mandates, threats, lawsuits,” he said. “That’s not how we get things done in Massachusetts. You have to work with cities and towns.” “His job was to lower the cost of housing, and instead housing prices skyrocketed and he botched his own guidelines under the MBTA Communities Act — another mess that he left that had to be cleaned up by the Healey-Driscoll administration,” Kerrigan said in a statement. TRUMPER KENNEALY IGNORES THE LAW! "We should be working with federal officials — not against them — to get violent criminals off our streets,” Mike Kennealy, former housing and economic development secretary under the Baker administration, said in a statement. Both GOP candidates blamed the Healey administration's policies for the way recent ICE actions unfolded. "We need to stand with the police, we shouldn't be interfering with the work they're doing, regardless of whether they are local, state, or federal law enforcement," he said. XIARHOS IS NOT AN ATTORNEY! THE BEST HE CAN DO IS COPY FLORIDA?  Barnstable Republican Rep. Steve Xiarhos, one of the sponsors of the bill, said the law is modeled after similar legislation in Florida. But Xiarhos said the bill would apply to Massachusetts police and first responders, not federal law enforcement agents. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .  TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and state and local officials hold a press conference on impacts to Medicaid in the megabill at 1:45 p.m. in Revere. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends Get Konnected’s speed mentoring event at 5:30 p.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the city’s summer safety plan at 10 a.m. in Dorchester and hosts a luncheon for Boston Public Schools valedictorians at 12:30 p.m. in Fenway.   Did you know Playbook goes beyond the newsletter—with powerhouse new co-hosts at the mic? Tune in to The Playbook Podcast every weekday for exclusive intel and sharp analysis on Trump’s Washington, straight from Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns. Start listening now .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — DEP delays electric vehicle sales requirements for two years by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: “The Healey administration said Friday it will not enforce minimum electric vehicle sales requirements for model years 2026 and 2027, administratively taking a step that lawmakers have repeated sought to force legislatively. Under the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation that Massachusetts adopted following California's lead in 2023, vehicle manufacturers are supposed to produce and make available for sale a gradually-increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles starting at 35% in model year 2026, rising to 43% in model year 2027 and eventually hitting 100% in model year 2035 and beyond.” WATCH — Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services Jon Santiago talks funding cuts, homeless veterans by Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB. FROM THE HUB — Boston launches review of school bus safety following collision death of 5-year-old by Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Boston city leaders said they are launching an independent review into the safety policies and performance of Transdev, the school bus contractor for Boston Public Schools. The move comes nearly a month after a bus operated by a Transdev driver struck and killed kindergarten student Lens Joseph during drop-off after school.” FROM HARVARD YARD — Harvard foreign students feel like ‘poker chips,’ consider transfer after Trump attacks by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive. — In extremely rare move, Harvard revokes tenure and cuts ties with star business professor by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: “Harvard University has stripped a world-renowned scholar of her tenure status. The university’s top governing board, the Harvard Corporation, decided this month to revoke Francesca Gino’s tenure and end her employment at Harvard Business School. Gino, who was celebrated for her research on honesty and ethical behavior, had faced scathing allegations of academic misconduct and fraud.” THE RACE FOR CITY HALL ***CARPETBAGGING NEWTON NEBBISH HAS NO SOLUTIONS...JUST WEALTHY PACS ATTACKING! BUYING AN ELECTION WITH NO SUBSTANCE - JUST LIKE THE CANDIDATE! THEY DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY - HAVE NO TIES OR COMMITMENTS!**** — Kraft-aligned super PAC pours $1.4 million into attacks on Wu in mayoral race by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “The super PAC backing Josh Kraft in his challenge to Mayor Michelle Wu is dropping more than $1.4 million on ads, billboards, and text messages attacking the incumbent Democrat, marking the first significant infusion of outside cash into a race that’s already splattered with mud-slinging. The spending, disclosed in a late Friday filing, is an extraordinary sum for an outside group to drop so early in the citywide contest. The timing of the push — and willingness of deep-pocketed donors to bankroll it — suggests voters’ televisions and social media feeds could be inundated with political spots through the summer and fall.” Mayor Michelle Wu’s campaign is out with a scathing statement in response this morning, accusing the Krafts of “trying to buy” the election “by trashing our city with millions of dollars of negative attack ads.” “This is an unprecedented early start  to outside money raining down on a Boston city election as Kraft runs the most negative mayoral campaign in generations,” the statement said. DAY IN COURT WORTH READING! —  Bar advocates to halt indigent defense work over stagnant pay  by Aaron Curtis, The Lowell Sun:  “According to Massachusetts bar advocates, without a long-overdue raise, the justice system is headed for some serious trouble. In 2004, bar advocates — private attorneys paid by the state to represent clients unable to afford legal counsel — stopped taking new cases in protest of low pay. This move ultimately influenced lawmakers to raise the district court hourly rate to $50, as highlighted on baimnar.com , a website created by attorney Todd Siegel advocating for increased compensation for attorneys who represent indigent clients. Bar advocates say that their wages have barely budged in the two decades since. … Now, history appears to be repeating itself as bar advocates, citing stagnant wages and legislative inaction, once again prepare to refuse new cases starting Tuesday.” excerpts:  Bar advocates say that their wages have barely budged in the two decades since. Today, the district court hourly rate stands at $65, an increase averaging roughly 70 cents per year over the last 20 years. Now, history appears to be repeating itself as bar advocates, citing stagnant wages and legislative inaction, once again prepare to refuse new cases starting Tuesday. “The end result is going to be chaos,” said bar advocate Jennifer O’Brien, who has a private practice in Billerica and works out of several courts, including Lowell District Court. So, what happens if there are not enough bar advocates? Under Massachusetts law, all defendants are entitled to legal counsel, and if an indigent defendant does not receive an attorney within seven days, they must be released from custody. After 45 days without an appointed lawyer, a judge can dismiss the case entirely. FROM THE DELEGATION ***MAGA GOP TURNING BACK THE CLOCK: TAX CUTS FOR WEALTHY, ENDLESS DEFICITS, SLASHING HEALTH CARE & FOOD!*** — Massachusetts Rep. Trahan’s ‘Les Miz’ moment on Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ by John L. Micek, MassLive: “In the early hours of last Thursday morning, as U.S. House Republicans got ready to send President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” over to the Senate, a Massachusetts lawmaker stepped into the breach, all Henry V-style, to try to stop it. That lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-3rd District, offered what’s known as a “Motion to Recommit,” a parliamentary Hail Mary that would have sent the bill back to committee rather than allowing the eventual 215-214 vote to approve it.” excerpts:  This was Trahan, who helms the House Dems’ messaging effort, getting her “Les Miz” moment to defend the barricades against legislation that she and her fellow Democrats believe will gut the social safety net and cause the national debt to skyrocket. In addition to its other provisions, the GOP-authored bill is a “targeted attack on Planned Parenthood, one of the most trusted providers of reproductive health care in our country,” Trahan said during a brief floor speech. “No one should lose access to basic care just because of where they go to get it.” Trahan later offered her procedural motion, which failed, with every Republican voting against it, her office said in a statement. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., may have won a battle on Thursday, but they still have to win the war by getting the bill through the U.S. Senate and onto the Resolute Desk. Lawmakers on the other side of Capitol Hill were already talking about significant rewrites to the bill within hours of the House vote, according to Politico. The messages, however, were contradictory. Budget hawks were looking for bigger savings, while others were looking to blunt the House’s attack on Medicaid and preserve green energy incentives, Politico reported. And as of last week, it looked like U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was spoiling for that fight. “Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are popping champagne because House Republicans JUST passed Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ the Cambridge lawmaker posted to X. “This bill is a BIG tax handout for billionaires, paid for by ripping health insurance from 14 MILLION people. We must stop this from passing the Senate,” she continued. Warren’s colleague, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., meanwhile, was doing a bit of Capitol Hill math. “The question now: How many Senate Republicans will vote to cut Medicaid, SNAP and Pell? How many millions of people will they take health care, food and education from — all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra wealthy?" he posted to X. The answer, according to Politico, is three. That’s how many GOP votes Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-Texas, can afford to lose and still pass the bill on a party-line vote. Thune wants to get the bill through the Senate by July 4, saying the Independence Day deadline is the “goal and the aspiration,” but will depend on “what does it take to get to 51?” That’s a reference to the number of votes it takes in the Senate to win a simple majority. It also gives the bill’s opponents a deadline to work on any GOP lawmakers who might be wobbly on the bill and extra time to cue up their copy of “Do You Hear the People Sing?”   Policy moves fast—stay ahead with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant. Effortlessly search POLITICO's archive of 1M+ news articles, analysis documents, and legislative text. Track legislation, showcase your impact, and generate custom reports in seconds. Designed for POLITICO Pro subscribers, this tool helps you make faster, smarter decisions. Start exploring now .     FROM THE 413 — Clean energy measures, $7.68M budget coming to Shutesbury Town Meeting on Saturday by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Prioritizing purchase of zero-emission vehicles, supporting municipal decarbonization by 2050 and opting into the state’s specialized energy code, while enhancing the existing safe community bylaw and adopting a town spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, are among articles voters will decide at annual Town Meeting Saturday.” excerpt:  Green articles The Energy and Climate Action Committee is seeking endorsement of the “Zero-Emission First Vehicle” policy and to repeal a policy adopted in 2011 in which only fuel-efficient vehicles are purchased. The purpose of this is to “advance the economic, energy and climate sustainability of municipal operations by achieving long-term reductions in energy costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions,” with hopes to accelerate the adoption of emissions-reduction technologies and the transition of the fleet to all electric or other environmentally advantageous vehicles. The new policy does allow for the town’s purchases of such vehicles “as financially feasible and practicably appropriate.” That committee is also recommending adoption of the state’s specialized energy, which will impact new construction and existing buildings by further reducing the climate impacts of buildings, with the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the buildings sector no later than 2050. This means the town will go beyond the existing stretch energy code. Shutesbury voters will also be asked to commit to a “municipal decarbonization,” defined as the elimination of all on-site burning of fossil fuels in municipal buildings and vehicles, by 2050, in accordance with state climate goals. — Budget cuts hours for some Easthampton employees by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Although the city’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget avoids direct cuts to municipal employee salaries, six workers are facing reduced hours and a hiring freeze is being put in place. According to Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, some municipal employees ‘had extended hours,’ meaning the city approved working hours for some positions beyond their typical 34-hour workweek. The hourly adjustment heading into the next fiscal year, she said, is an act of ‘resetting’ back to the ‘base workweek’ for these positions. However, the citywide hiring freeze is an act of abundant caution, following the lead of the Healey administration amid fiscal uncertainty.” ****THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM DRIVEN BY VULTURE CAPITALISTS THAT NEEDS SOLUTIONS...OUTLAWING THE HOMELESS IS NOT A SOLUTION!**** — Amid conversations about public health and accessibility in downtown Pittsfield, homeless people still lack reliable access to public restrooms and showers by Claire O'Callahan, The Berkshire Eagle. excerpts:  PITTSFIELD — For most of her life, Stephanie Bortz’s morning routine went something like this. She’d wake up, go to the bathroom, take a shower, do her skincare and get dressed. Then she would go about her day. That was before her husband died last year and she became homeless. Now Bortz, who’s 50 years old, said she showers twice a week at a friend’s house and relies on public restrooms during the day. “I’m so used to being able to get up, take a shower, go to the bathroom when I need to,” Bortz said. “It’s very hard wondering what's going to go on on a day-to-day basis. It’s kind of nerve-wracking.” In January, 187 people were experiencing homelessness in Pittsfield. Most of them do not have a bed at the local shelter and spend nights sleeping under the eaves of the library, in the doorway of a store on North Street, inside a parking garage or in a local park. On those nights, from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., people are left without access to a single public restroom, where they can use the bathroom without needing to spend money. During the day, that access expands to about 12 public restrooms in and around downtown Pittsfield. But hours vary and not one of the restrooms provide showers. Bortz and others experiencing homelessness said the lack of public restroom access takes a toll on their mental and physical health, and makes it difficult to prepare for job interviews or a shift at work. “When you’re out here and looking like a scruff, you haven’t taken a shower in a week or something like that, people look at you a little differently,” said Andrew Alfonso. A week ago, Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti introduced an ordinance that would amend the city’s code to ban people from creating temporary shelter on public property, whether that be a tent in a local park, a bedroll in a doorway on North Street or a sleeping bag tucked under the eaves of the library. The mayor has said the intention of the ordinance is to safeguard public health and provide clean spaces by limiting “camping and the storage of personal property” in public areas. But homeless people and their advocates have said the ordinance won’t solve a public health issue people have been facing for years — a lack of access to public restrooms. In downtown Pittsfield there are 12 verified public restrooms. Most of them are offered by nonprofits, which are volunteer-run and have limited hours. Others are located at public parks, at City Hall, in Big Y and in the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority's Joseph R. Scelsi Intermodal Transit Center. The Pittsfield Police Department used to offer public restrooms as well. But Sgt. Michael Murphy said the main key was stolen years ago and has not been replaced, effectively closing those restrooms to public use.  The department's custodian has a key, and opens the restrooms once a year on Fourth of July, when there are a lot of people visiting downtown, Murphy said. To his knowledge, there have been no efforts to replace the second key or to open the bathrooms for regular public use. Homeless people said in their experience, that list is far shorter. Bathrooms at Big Y, the Berkshire Athenaeum, the Intermodal Transit Center and Witch Slapped are the only ones they said they can rely on. THE LOCAL ANGLE ***MUST READ!*** — Narrow timeline creates strain on New Bedford’s elections by Colin Hogan, The New Bedford Light: “Calendars, packets, papers, and check-lists cover the tables inside New Bedford’s elections office. Five months will pass before city elections take place this fall, on Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, but already this office is humming — and it’s maybe a little more tense than usual. … Because the City Council rejected election officials’ advice — including [New Bedford Election Commission Chair Manuel] DeBrito’s, his staff’s, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s — New Bedford will be the only city in Massachusetts to host its preliminary election in October this year. That leaves a short window for voters to return mail-in ballots for the Nov. 4 general election.” — Trump's DOJ retracts investigations of 8 police departments. What about Worcester? by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has announced it is ‘retracting’ its findings of constitutional violations by most of the police departments it cited under President Joe Biden. However Worcester’s findings, for now, remain intact.” PAY WALL — More details emerge about health director's exit by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily News: “As the city looks to replace former Health Director Laura Vlasuk, now running Malden’s health and human services department, more details are surfacing as to why she decided to leave and how the news was shared with local leaders. After more than three years leading Newburyport’s health department, Vlasuk left her role on May 14, roughly a week after the Malden City Council unanimously approved her appointment on May 5.” PAY WALL — Assistant to the mayor and city social worker positions being considered by Attleboro city council by Rhianwen Watkins, The Sun Chronicle.  — Brockton's downtown homeless shelter moves to Manley Street by Chris Helms, The Brockton Enterprise.  PAY WALL — 'Gulf of Weymouth' shirts raise $7,000 for new veterans' memorial by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger. excerpt:  Money will fund memorial in memory of father and son killed in war Just three father-son pairs were killed in the Vietnam War. One of them, Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. and Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, came from Weymouth. The $7,000 raised from the T-shirts so far will help fund a granite memorial for the father and son at Libby Field, across from the Ralph Talbot Amphitheatre. On June 8, 1956, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Richard Fitzgibbon Jr. died after he was shot by a fellow airman while in South Vietnam. He was the first casualty of what would become known as the Vietnam War. He was 35 years old at the time. More than nine years later, his son, Richard Fitzgibbon III, a Marine lance corporal, was killed on Sept. 7, 1965, in combat near Quang Tin. He was a 1962 graduate of Weymouth High School. The senior Fitzgibbon’s name wasn’t added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall until 1999 after his family petitioned for years to the U.S. government. The Department of Defense had to first change the criteria, including the start date of the war. The Weymouth Vietnam memorial lists the Fitzgibbons as the only father and son pair killed in the war, but at least two other pairs have since been identified. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Joanne Landers will be the new vice president of student affairs and Austin Gilliland has been tapped to serve as vice president of academic affairs at Northern Essex Community College. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Melissa Ludtke, state Rep. Steven Owens, Andrew Fowler and Brian Choquet. Happy belated to Sabrina Correa, who celebrated Monday. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .   Follow us on X Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us

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