The Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, who had previously expressed appreciation for certain aspects of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, is currently seeking a meeting with Trump’s border authority figure, Tom Homan. The question arises whether the governor’s intentions root from a change of heart or a strategic plan to manage the immigrant situation before her campaign for re-election unfolds next year.
During a conversation with the State House News Service in March, Healey appeared genuinely perplexed at Homan’s and ICE’s actions, which led to the detainment of 370 individuals in a significant immigration enforcement operation in the Boston region. Homan had vowed to bring severe consequences to Boston, publicly criticising Healey and Boston’s Mayor, Michelle Wu, for their support of sanctuary policies.
Despite the criticism, Healey firmly stated that Massachusetts does not qualify as a ‘sanctuary state’. She emphasized that cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continues, implying that Massachusetts’s legal approach to immigration is comprehensive, not one-sided.
Healey’s stance on Trump’s border policies seemed to soften last week when she indicated that there might be sensible aspects to the former President’s approach. It is noteworthy that she had previously described these very same policies with terms such as ‘deeply distressing’, ‘heart-rending’, and even ‘fundamentally un-American’.
Her tone, however, hardened in dealing with ICE, which she opined had overstepped bounds in the immigration issue. This resultant rise in fear within the community and consequent distress were the direct outcomes of their overbearing enforcement, according to Healey.
In parallel events, Tom Hodgson, previous Bristol County Sheriff and Massachusetts’s head of the 2024 Trump campaign, revealed that he was approached by a representative from Healey’s camp. The individual asked Hodgson whether he could be the connecting link between Healey and Homan.
Hodgson, unsure whether Healey knew about their exchange, speculated that Healey might be tactically adapting her narrative to what she perceives to be beneficial for her political future tied to the forthcoming elections.
He observed that despite her refusal to allow the state’s police to collaborate with ICE and identify and deport illegal immigrants with a criminal record, Healey now professes support for some of Trump’s policy decisions. However, she has yet to specify which ones, Hodgson noted.
Hodgson harshly criticized Healey, describing her as a representative of prioritizing personal interests over the welfare and advantages of Massachusetts’s residents.
Meanwhile, ICE and its law enforcement counterparts carried out what they termed an ‘intensified operation’ in Massachusetts. The operation led to the arrest of 370 individuals classified as ‘alien offenders’. This tally also included an individual from New Bedford as disclosed by the FBI.