Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey criticized the Trump administration’s new ICE enforcement initiative, calling it “political theater” during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC. The program, labeled “Patriot 2.0,” has targeted undocumented immigrants with criminal records in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Healey, a former prosecutor and attorney general, said the action is less about public safety and more about a “power grab” designed to intimidate. “What we have seen from ICE and from the administration really isn’t about public safety, it’s about political theater,” she said.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson countered, saying the effort follows the earlier “Operation Patriot” and focuses on “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” The spokesperson linked local sanctuary policies, including those backed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, to shielding criminals from removal. “ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities,” the statement said.
The administration has placed immigration at the center of its second-term agenda. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently claimed 1.6 million fewer undocumented immigrants are in the United States since President Trump took office, though the estimate came from a restrictionist group that acknowledged possible overstatement. The Department of Justice has also sued Boston over its sanctuary law, arguing it illegally prevents federal deportations.
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