Chelsea, MA – Massachusetts officially became home to the strongest state law in the nation protecting immigrant communities from ICE enforcement in sensitive locations. Governor Maura Healey signed the PROTECT Act into law at La Colaborativa’s Chelsea Survival Center, a moment that reflects a year of advocacy, organizing, and the unwavering voices of communities who refused to stop fighting.
This landmark law limits ICE access to schools, daycares, hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, and courthouses, ensuring that families can seek education, healthcare, justice, and other essential services without fear.
As Gladys Vega, Executive Director of La Colaborativa, shared: “The passage of this historic law is a testament to our Commonwealth’s commitment to upholding human rights and dignity for all… For communities like ours that have experienced the devastating impact of immigration enforcement, this is a powerful step toward ensuring our families are safer, protected, and heard.”
Today reminds us that advocacy works. When communities organize, when people raise their voices, and when we refuse to give up, change is possible.
Today, our community was heard. Today, that voice became law.
