BOSTON — Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is slamming Gov. Maura Healey and fellow Democratic politicians for increasing rhetoric against the agency as the governor announced new actions to “protect Massachusetts residents from ICE.”

Healey announced that she has filed an executive order prohibiting the state from entering into any new 287(g) agreements, basically deputizing local law enforcement “unless there is a public safety need,” and prohibiting ICE from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state facilities.

“The governor’s attacks on ICE are reckless, inflammatory and completely divorced from reality. Instead of engaging directly with the agency on its mission, training and legal authorities, she’s opted for political theater — repeating false claims that mislead the public and deliberately undermine federal law enforcement,” Lyons told the Herald.

“ICE officers and agents are sworn to enforce laws passed by Congress and signed by presidents of both parties, and they put their lives on the line every day. To be clear, ICE does not offer bounties, and officers don’t profit from arrests. The real beneficiaries of ICE’s work are the people of Massachusetts, who are safer when ICE arrests and detains murderers, child sex abusers and other violent criminals who would otherwise be walking the streets,” Lyons added. “The governor would better serve her constituents by focusing less on grandstanding and more on public safety.”

Healey has also filed legislation that would keep ICE out of Massachusetts courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches; would make it unlawful for another state to deploy its National Guard in Massachusetts without the governor’s permission; and would allow parents to pre-arrange guardianship for their children in case they are detained or deported.

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening. Over the past year, President Trump has sent federal agents into communities, cities, and states around the country. And what we have seen week after week, month after month, are federal agents instigating, antagonizing, and yes, causing violence in communities,” Healey said to reporters at the State House Thursday.

“All of these actions, by ICE, stand in stark contrast to our own outstanding state and police, state and local police. And I want to be clear about that,” she said.

The agency itself is also responding to the increase in rhetoric from Healey and other Bay State Democrats, implying that Massachusetts is in fact a “sanctuary state,” despite Healey’s claims that it is not. In a statement sent to the Herald, ICE brass warned that cities and states that obstruct federal immigration officials from enforcing the law could risk losing federal funding.

“Sanctuary politicians in Massachusetts have made it abundantly clear that they would rather stand with criminal illegal aliens than protect law-abiding American citizens. It comes as no surprise that they would want to hamstring their law enforcement from helping federal officers arrest rapists, murderers, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. DHS will not be deterred from our mission by sanctuary politicians who refuse to put the safety of Americans first,” an ICE spokesperson told the Herald.

“If cities and states want federal funds, they should stop obstructing federal immigration officials from enforcing the law. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are going after the worst of the worst. If jurisdictions want to thwart federal law, then they will have to face the consequences,” they said.

GOP gubernatorial Mike Kennealy says Healey needs to be more consistent regarding whether she wants Massachusetts to be a sanctuary state or not, even if she does not publicly say so.

“Yesterday, Maura Healey claimed Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state. Today, Maura Healey announced a series of executive actions that definitively make Massachusetts a sanctuary state,” Kennealy said. “If Governor Healey wants to keep ICE agents off our streets, the only way to achieve that is by being a responsible partner.”

Fellow GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve says Healey needs to answer clearly if she feels state and local police should cooperate with ICE and deport criminal illegal immigrants.

“Almost everyone agrees: criminal illegal aliens should be detained and deported. But Maura Healey has also said she supports sanctuary cities like Boston that refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement to do just that. She needs to simply answer the question: should state and local law enforcement, including Boston police, cooperate with federal authorities to ensure a criminal illegal immigrant is not released back into our communities? Yes or no?” asked Shortsleeve.

As for Republican candidate for governor Mike Minogue, he says Massachusetts Democrats are prioritizing headlines over safety.

“I’m disappointed to see Massachusetts politicians prioritize political headlines over keeping communities safe,” said Minogue. “State and local officials need to work together with the federal government to get criminal illegal immigrants out of our communities. This is about public safety and the law, not party politics. We need to protect the lives of our citizens and law enforcement.”

When asked by the Herald how she could possibly not call Massachusetts a sanctuary state at this point, Healey engaged in a back-and-forth over the question, stating that her new policies do not make Massachusetts a sanctuary state because they allow for ICE to receive permission from her office to make civil arrests and do not outright ban them from doing so.

Border Czar Tom Homan addressed reporters on Thursday for the first time since President Trump sent him to Minneapolis following the fatal ICE-involved shooting of Alex Pretti last week. Homan spoke about his desire to ease tensions and the violence seen in Minneapolis and St. Paul as ICE has carried out operations. He also said ICE and DHS are not relenting on the immigration crackdown.

Healey’s words come amid a surge in anti-ICE rhetoric and actions among Democratic politicians in Massachusetts, including Congressman Seth Moulton, Mass-6th, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Mass-7th, who are in Minnesota this week conducting oversight tours while Senator Ed Markey continues to call for the defunding and abolishment of ICE.

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