Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday that she’s “sickened” by what’s happening to immigrants in Massachusetts and across the country, and urged state lawmakers to send her legislation that protects them as soon as possible.
“We’ve got people who are afraid to send their kids to school, afraid to go to work, afraid to just go out and shop,” Healey said in an appearance on GBH’s Boston Public Radio on Wednesday morning. “It’s been absolutely devastating.”
The governor pointed to a number of bills in conference committee as the legislative sessions nears its close. One she wants to see on her desk is the PROTECT Act, which she filed in January and would bar federal immigration authorities from pursuing civil arrests at courthouses.
Healey said that the legislation is needed because of the “shameful” actions of federal ICE agents here in the state, and across the country.
“That’s what the PROTECT Act does,” she said. “It’s about protecting our residents, protecting our communities in the face of unbelievable, unconstitutional, and what I think is un-American actions out of the Trump administration.”
The Legislative deadline is July 31, and a joint committee released a statement Wednesday morning promising that the PROTECT Act will be voted on this week and headed to the governor’s desk ahead of the deadline.
Asked about education, Healey said she’s unsure about a new federal tax credit called the “Education Freedom Tax Credit” that would go towards things like tutoring. Opponents worry the money would end up going towards private schools, rather than public ones.
The governor says she’s open to it.
“In terms of that federal law, we’re taking a look at it,” she said. “There are some more regulations coming out. I’m talking to all sides and hearing from them about what the impact would be. But I’m always going to support our kids and education.”
Turning to Healey’s likely opponent in the general election, the Boston Public Radio hosts said that when Mike Minogue previously appeared on the show, he laid into the governor for not supporting federal education funding.
“Is one of my MAGA opponents representing something untrue about what I say? Yeah, that happens just about every day,” quipped the governor.
Healey says that she doesn’t know who is going to emerge as her Republican challenger in the general election, but she says between Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve, she can guarantee that she doesn’t align with the president’s agenda like they both do.
“I’m not with Trump-Vance, I don’t think the Trump-Vance agenda has been good for Massachusetts or for this country. My opponents stand with Trump. I stand with the people of Massachusetts.”
