Massachusetts
Is this the year Massachusetts declares itself a sanctuary state?
BOSTON ― Proponents of a bill proposing that Massachusetts become a “sanctuary state,” where the legal status of residents interacting with state and local law enforcement is protected from release to federal immigration officials, is a matter of ensuring that the right to due process for all who live in the Bay State.
The measure, the proponents claim, would help forge bonds of trust between local law enforcement officials and the immigrant community, taking the fear of deportation out of interactions ranging from reporting a crime, to driving without a driver’s license, to being arrested on a criminal offense.
“The bill has come a long way since it was first introduced in 2017,” said Amy Grunder, director of state government affairs for the Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Coalition, during a hearing Monday of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. “It incorporates the best advice from conversations with police chiefs, district attorneys and advocacy groups.”
The measure would not impede federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from working in the Bay State, Grunder said, but would end federal involvement in local police investigations that hamper adjudication of crimes.
8 Massachusetts communities describe themselves as sanctuary cities
Eight Massachusetts communities – Amherst, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Concord, Newton, Northampton and Somerville – have passed local legislation directing local law enforcement to refrain from divulging location and immigration status information to federal officials.
Worcester has not declared itself a sanctuary city and the city does not have any ordinances concerning the immigration status of any individual, according to a city spokesman. The Worcester Police Department does not have an official policy or practice that distinguishes people on the basis of their immigration status.
California, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon have passed similar legislation declaring themselves sanctuary states.
In addition to barring local law enforcement from reaching out and disclosing immigration status and location information to federal officials, the bill would also sever the contract that allows ICE to deputize and train local police to enforce federal immigration policies.
Currently, only the state Department of Corrections has a signed 287(g) agreement with the federal government. Several local sheriff’s departments had signed contracts but the last of those, with Bristol and Plymouth counties, were terminated in 2021.
Speaking in favor of the companion bills introduced by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and Representatives Ruth Balser, D-Newton and Manny Cruz, D-Salem, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan decried ICE tactics.
“They scoop them out of the courthouse,” said Ryan, adding that the state is rarely informed as to where they end up. If they appear at an immigration court, they could be released on bail and back into the community. “Once they are picked up by ICE, there is no way to get them back.”
Wendy S. Wayne, director of the Committee for Public Counsel Services Immigration Impact Unit, said there are 450 Massachusetts cases from the 18 months between January 2022 and August 2023 that are still pending because the defendants were arrested by ICE.
“They are open, unresolved; maybe the defendants were innocent, maybe the complaints against them were rescinded,” Wayne said. She believes they will never be resolved, pointing out that the victims in these cases may never have closure.
Both women pointed out that once cases are adjudicated and sentences have been served, local law enforcement can call ICE to disclose the whereabouts of a resident wanted on federal charges. Local law enforcement officers could also answer direct questions from federal authorities about whether they have a particular person in custody, however they could not proactively divulge such information.
In discussing the measure, Eldridge described the federal immigration system as “broken.”
What are 4 key measures addressed by the bill?
Backers of the measure describe these main objectives:
- Discouraging law enforcement officials from asking about immigration status, a decision usually prompted by a person’s race or ethnicity.
- Giving notice to detainees held in local facilities that they have a right to refuse to meet with ICE agents, and a right to hire an immigration attorney to be present if they agree to an interview.
- If they appear in court on any matter; whether as a victim, witness or defendant, court officials would be barred from revealing their information to ICE agents.
- Severing 287(g) agreements that allow ICE to deputize and train local police to enforce federal immigration policies.
“This bill simply draws a clear boundary between federal responsibilities and state and local responsibilities,” said Balser. “Local and state law enforcement already has enough on its plate.”
Cruz said his mother, who migrated from Dominican Republic and had attained a green card, endured the domestic abuse of two spouses who controlled her by threatening to report her immigrant status.
“This is not uncommon in immigrant communities,” Cruz noted, adding that all residents should feel safe reporting a crime, seeking a restraining order, reporting wage theft, seeking health care and social services, and being full participants in the local economy.
His experiences were echoed by Sen. Liz Miranda, D-Boston, who also grew up in a mix status household with roots in Cape Verde.
“My brother and father were deported as I walked onto the campus of Wellesley College,” Miranda said.
Concern about criminality
Boston resident John Thompson of the Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform said the greatest threat to immigrant communities were criminal migrants who victimized their own compatriots, and said allowing ICE to do its job benefits everyone.
Citing a 1996 act signed by former President Bill Clinton that supported deportations for felonious behavior, he also declared that “the government does not remove residents except for serious offenses.”
Quoting former President Donald Trump, Thompson said the government was focused on “really serious crimes, not motor vehicle violations. No one has been deported for being here illegally, only if they commit a serious crime.”
However, a New York law firm specializing in immigration proceedings, Richards/Jurusik, on its website declares that the top two reasons for deportation are overstaying a visa or being in the country illegally. Criminal activity and being deemed a public safety threat were then followed by immigration fraud or misrepresentation – marrying a citizen to obtain a green card.
On its website, ICE states that 92% of those removed from the United States in 2020 – some 185,884 people – had criminal convictions, leaving roughly 14,000 removed for other, unspecified reasons.
Ryan spoke of an incident in Lowell, an early-morning four-alarm fire. A frontline worker on his way to work saw the smoke and without hesitation, entered the building to awaken the sleeping resident, she said.
“He worried that the call he had made to 911 to alert the fire department would be traced back to his phone and ICE would be alerted and he would be deported,” Ryan said, adding he should have been hailed as a hero.
Massachusetts
20 new charges brought against former Massachusetts doctor accused of rape
A former Brigham and Women’s Doctor who was charged with raping two patients last year has been indicted on new charges. Derrick Todd, 52, from Wayland, Massachusetts, was indicted by a grand jury on three charges of rape and 17 counts of indecent assault and battery. He is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, March 25.
“The allegations outlined in those indictments reflect just an extraordinary exploitation of a patient’s vulnerability and abuse of a position of trust,” Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters.
The new charges stem from allegations by 11 women from the ages of 20 to 60 years old, Ryan said. The crimes allegedly occurred between 2022 and 2023 while Todd was a practicing rheumatologist and primary care physician at Charles River Medical Associates, a private practice in Framingham.
“Allegations include him making inappropriate sexual comments during exams, conducting exams that were excessively painful, and conducting examinations that lasted an unusual and unnecessary amount of time,” Ryan said.
Todd first faced criminal charges last year when he was indicted on charges of raping a 39-year-old woman and 26-year-old woman, both patients at Charles River.
Dozens more women accuse Todd of abuse, some during his time at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, with more than 270 plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against him.
“He was a master manipulator. And his ability to groom patients, giving them access, seeing them early hours, late in the evening, texting with them by cellphone privately,” said attorney William Thompson who is representing his accusers.
Faulker Hospital conducted its own investigation and fired Todd. He also relinquished his license to practice.
DA Ryan said her office has completed its investigation but that still leaves room for others to come forward and for other counties to bring charges.
“It’s a journey. It’s day by day, and everyone is a survivor, and everyone is healing in their own way,” Thompson said.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts cop shoots and kills person who was armed with a knife: Norfolk DA
A local police officer fatally shot a person who was armed with a knife and “appeared to be in distress” Wednesday afternoon, according to the Norfolk DA’s office.
The officer-involved shooting happened in Weymouth at around 4 p.m. after police responded to a 911 call for service at the Webb Memorial State Park off River Street.
“Police arrived to that location and encountered an individual with a knife who appeared to be in distress,” the Norfolk DA’s office wrote.
“The Officer immediately administered first aid to the victim prior to transporting him to an area hospital in critical condition,” the office added.
The male who was critically injured was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The officer-involved shooting was being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk DA’s office.
The DA’s office added, “There is no ongoing threat to the public.”
Massachusetts
Seven high school sports takeaways, including a national hoop title, Gatorade award, and coaching moves – The Boston Globe
Newman defeated Blair Academy (N.J.), 92-72, to finish the season with a 19-game win streak and 38-3 record.
Costello, a Michigan-committed 6-foot-10-inch forward from Medford who played his freshman season at BC High, led all scorers in the title game with 24 points, thanks to six first-half 3-pointers, adding eight rebounds and four assists.
Senior Chase Geremia, committed to Penn, scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers and was named tournament MVP. Illinois-bound senior Lucas Morillo added 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists in the final, giving him tournament averages of 21.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
Newman also captured the NEPSAC Class AAA and NEBL championships this season.
Congratulations to the Newman School on their victory tonight in the 2026 National Prep Championship Game.
After winning the NEPSAC AAA title on Sunday, the Cardinals won 4 games in 3 days, bringing home their first National Prep Championship in school history. pic.twitter.com/W36gVXNtsG
— National Prep Championship Series (@PrepNational) March 13, 2026
Austin Prep senior Fope Ayo has been selected as the Gatorade Massachusetts Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.
The 6-foot-5-inch Reading resident, who is committed to Michigan, averaged 22.3 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game for the Cougars, who went 8-14.
Ayo became the first player in Austin Prep history to eclipse both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and was named a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee. She is ranked as the No. 45 recruit in the Class of 2026 by ESPN.
“Fope is certainly an impact player,” said Proctor Academy coach Gregor Mackechnie. “She’s an intimidating defensive presence on the second line of Austin Prep’s zone defense, and has learned to use her body and length effectively to convert scoring opportunities on the blocks. From all of my interactions with her, I found her to be a high-character young woman.”
Ayo maintains an A average in the classroom, has volunteered locally with the Unitas Leadership Academy, and founded Sweet Desserts, an initiative that bakes birthday cakes for incarcerated juveniles.
3. Best of the South Coast crowned
The Dave Cowens awards, given annually to the top boys’ and girls’ basketball seniors from among the 17 South Coast schools, went to Wareham’s Aaron Cote and Apponequet’s Cece Levrault.
Cote led Wareham to its third state title in four years, and he was a starter on all three. After missing 20 games his junior year with an ankle injury, he returned to average 25.1 points, 4.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game while surpassing 1,000 career points. He is the second Wareham player to earn the honor, following Ajay Lopes in 2024.
Levrault became the third Apponequet girl, but first since Jen Smith in 2001, to receive the Cowens award after leading the Lakers to a school-record 21 wins and the Division 3 semifinals. She finished her career with 1,149 points and four South Coast Conference Blue division titles.
Joseph Case’s Emma Plante and Old Rocheter’s Emma Johnson were the girls’ finalists, while New Bedford’s Diego Montanari and Somerset Berkley’s Dom Taylor were boys’ finalists.
4. Top WMass players tabbed
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 15th anual Western Massachusetts Player of the Year awards went to Sam Brigham of Pope Francis and Emersynn Cage of Longmeadow.
A two-year starter at Pope Francis, Brigham finished as the second all-time leading scorer in Western Mass. history with 2,107 points, including a school-record 48 during his sophomore season for St. Mary’s of Westfield. He led Pope Francis to the state semifnals this year, averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game.
Cage finished her career with 1,220 points, despite tearing her ACL midway through her sophomore season. A four-time All-Western Mass. first team selection, she averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals per game this season, leading the Lancers to the state tournament.
Brigham and Cage will receive their awards during halftime of their respective games at the Western Mass. All-Star Games on Friday (starting at 5:30 p.m.) at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students and can be purchased here.
▪ Longtime Brewster Academy boys’ basketball coach Jason Smith is leaving his post after 26 seasons to join the new Masters Academy, where he will serve as head coach of the boys’ basketball program, working under John Carroll. At Brewster, Smith won seven national prep championships between 2010 and 2020, winning more than 700 games and sending 25 players to the NBA. He is a three-time National Prep Coach of the Year, six-time New England Prep Coach of the Year, and five times has been named one of the 100 most influential people in men’s college basketball.
▪ Norwood girls’ basketball coach Kristen McDonnell, who previously won four state titles at Braintree and coached the Norwood boys, stepped down for family reasons, and Trevor Hass had the story.
After eight years coaching Malden Catholic girls’ basketball, Jay Keane announced he is stepping down. Keane coached MC since the inception of its program, leading the Lancers to their first Division 1 playoff win this past season and a 14-8 record. In seven varsity seasons, he led MC to the tournament seven times as they moved up from D4 to D1. He previously coached the Wilmington girls for eight seasons, going 120-60. He won his 200th game in 2025.
▪ After four seasons, Beverly boys’ hockey coach Andy Scott announced he will step down to spend more time with family. Scott led the Panthers to an 11-7-3 record and a playoff berth this winter, finishing his stint with a 32-43-7 mark. Cam Kerry recently wrote about how Scott didn’t let paralysis keep him from coaching.
▪ Lowell wrestling coach Nick Logan announced he is resigning after eight seasons. Logan helped build Lowell into one of the premier girls’ wrestling programs in the state.
▪ Springfield Central junior lineman GaVin English announced he has committed to play football at UMass. The 6-foot-5-inch, 300-pounder with a 6-9 wingspan will team up with former Central teammates Pope Watson and Joe Griffin, who both transfered to UMass.
▪ Former Fairhaven star running back/linebacker Justin Marques, who spent a post-grad year at Portsmouth Abbey after setting the state’s all-time touchdown record and leading the Blue Devils to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and one title, announced he will play at American International. The 5-10, 200-pounder was named All-NEPSAC after rushing for 805 yard and 10 touchdowns in just six games for Portsmouth Abbey.
▪ Medfield senior Eva Thomson committed to play field hockey at St. Anselm.
▪ Malden Catholic senior captain Abbie Poole signed her commitment to play ice hockey at Endicott.
▪ Somerset Berkley senior Alex Javier will wrestle at Bridgewater State. The 132-pounder won a Division 2 title last month.
▪ Andover junior Gus Concemi, a 6-4, 200-pound tight end and long snapper, will be transferring to Phillips Andover and entering the Class of 2028.
▪ Archbishop Williams sophomore David Santiago announced he will transfer to Lawrence Academy and reclassify as a 2029 prospect. The 6-2, 270-pound defensive tackle is from Pawtucket, R.I.
▪ Lynnfield junior Grant Neal, a 6-4 175-pound guard, will be transferring to St. Mark’s to play basketball and will reclassify as a sophomore. Neal averaged 21.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season.
▪ On Friday, Assumption will host the Spring Jam Classic: Friday Night Lights showcasing some of the state’s top high school talent. The night starts with a Top 20 girls’ high school showcase at 5 p.m., followed by a Leadership game, then the Top 20 Central Mass. showcase at 7, and Worcester vs. Boston (Part 2) at 8 p.m. The event also includes a vendor showcase and community resources.
▪ On Saturday, Quincy High will host the BABC vs. MA Select Teams games, with the underclassmen playing at 5:15 p.m. and the seniors at 6:45 p.m. The MA Select senior team features many of the state’s top hoopers: Central Catholic’s Javi Lopez, Wareham’s Cote, Burlington’s Matty Gray, Malden Catholic’s Aboubakar Nimaka, Medfield’s Thomas Behrman, Bridgewater-Raynham’s Cason Faulk and Cam Santos, Xaverian’s Thatcher Purdy, Hanover’s Ryan Mutschler, Attleboro’s Ladanian Rodrigues, Rockland’s Rophil Ngintoundem, Bedford’s Mekhi Volcy, Needham’s Ben Marino, Quincy’s Malcom McMorrow, and Abington’s Kingston Maxwell and Tyler Staiti.
▪ The Catholic Conference Showcase for football will be held from 5-8 p.m. on May 14 at a location to be announced.
▪ Registration is open for the Northeast 7v7 summer tournaments, which will be held from July 18-30 at Fitchburg, Berwick (Maine), Milton, and Peabody. The New England championship will be held July 30 at Peabody.
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
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