Response 2025

Friedman-led Legislation Creates New Accountability for Federal Agents and Keeps Local Police Out of Civil Immigration Enforcement 

(BOSTON—5/7/2026) The Massachusetts Senate today passed sweeping legislation to protect residents from the Trump administration’s weaponization of federal immigration enforcement. Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington)—who led the Senate’s PROTECT Act efforts as Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy—voted in support of the legislation, which passed on a bipartisan roll call vote of 37-3.

The PROTECT Act holds federal immigration agents legally accountable for civil rights violations, bars local and state police from participating in civil federal immigration enforcement, and prohibits immigration arrests at courthouses, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and childcare facilities.  

The bill also blocks unauthorized deployment of other states’ National Guards into Massachusetts and allows parents facing detention or deportation to pre-arrange guardianship for their children. 

“Today, the Massachusetts Senate is taking action to protect immigrant families, defend constitutional rights, and stand up to the fear and cruelty being fueled by Donald Trump’s weaponization of federal immigration enforcement,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Across our Commonwealth, we are seeing children torn from their parents, students pulled off the street, and families living in fear—and we refuse to accept that as normal in Massachusetts.” 

“The PROTECT Act is comprehensive legislation that defends the values enshrined in the Massachusetts Constitution, particularly equal protection under the law for all,” said Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy. “This bill will increase protections for our residents, spells out plainly and clearly that Massachusetts law enforcement officers are not responsible for aiding civil immigration enforcement, and importantly, stands up for our immigrant community in the face of an adversarial federal government.… Read more.

Letter outlines work the Senate has done to respond to harmful actions by the federal government

(BOSTON—12/5/2025) Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) sent a letter to her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate providing an update on actions taken as part of the Senate’s Response 2025 initiative. Response 2025 is guided by the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy, which is chaired by Senator Friedman, and focuses on identifying and elevating policies that protect Massachusetts residents, defend the values of the Commonwealth, and lead the state through this challenging time.

“In the first year of this legislative session we have made great progress in responding to the actions of both the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans that would have a significant negative impact on Massachusetts and its residents,” said Senator Friedman. “The role of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy is to work with Senate members to identify policy solutions that will mitigate potential harm and safeguard residents from threats or negative impacts of federal policy and funding changes. The letter sent to Senate members provides a list detailing Response 2025 policies that have received action on the Senate floor. It’s important for the Commonwealth’s residents to know that they have elected representation committed to fighting back against the Trump Administration’s harmful, often unpredictable policies, and this work will continue in the second year of this legislative session.”

The letter to Senate members can be found on the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy’s webpage, directly linked here.  … Read more.

Effort focuses on safeguarding residents, the Massachusetts economy, and state operations

(BOSTON—4/1/2025) In response to federal actions under the second Trump Administration that threaten critical programs and institutions, the Massachusetts Senate is launching RESPONSE 2025, a coordinated effort to protect residents, defend the Commonwealth’s values, and lead Massachusetts through a potentially difficult time.

Under the direction of Senate President Karen Spilka, the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy will spearhead this effort, working closely with Senate committee chairs and policy experts. The RESPONSE 2025 initiative will focus on four key goals:

• Assessing federal actions to determine their real-world impact on Massachusetts.
• Identifying policy solutions to mitigate potential harm and safeguard residents.
• Prioritizing state responses based on need, feasibility, and effectiveness.
• Providing clarity to the public by cutting through misinformation and helping residents understand the state’s role in protecting their rights and services.

“With this initiative, the Senate wants to state unequivocally that we are committed to protecting our residents, defending our values, and leading Massachusetts through the uncertainty of federal action,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “We are watching the systematic erosion of programs, supports and institutions that are critical to the wellbeing of our residents, the health of our economy, and the effective operations of our state—which is consistently ranked high on quality-of-life metrics like education, public safety, healthcare, and veterans’ services, among many things. Our economy is consistently strong thanks to the diversity of industries we support here. But I am worried about the reckless and cruel actions of the current administration and their potential negative impact on the things we value.… Read more.