Massachusetts
Massachusetts senators demand investigation into ICE detainee system
BOSTON (WWLP) – A group of senators, including Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, is leading 32 members of Congress in pressing DHS to investigate ICE.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico), along with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois), led 32 other members of Congress in urging the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General to investigate failures in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detainee locator system. The lawmakers contend that without a functional system, the DHS is effectively causing “disappearances” on U.S. soil.
The group of lawmakers requested an evaluation of the Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS), citing reports of inaccuracies that hinder legal representation and increase the risk of deportations.
The DHS Online Detainee Locator System allows the public to determine if a person is in ICE custody and their location. ICE policy mandates updating the ODLS within 8 hours of a person’s arrival at a facility. However, reports indicate individuals are not being accurately added for days and sometimes weeks, with increasing inaccuracy noted since January 2025.
The failure of the ODLS impacts detainees’ ability to obtain legal representation. Attorneys have reported difficulties filing habeas petitions due to unknown client locations, leading to an increased risk of detainees missing court hearings or case deadlines.
Families have also experienced distress, with some reporting that their loved ones were deported before their location was ever recorded in the system. Massachusetts resident Any Lopez Belloza was deported under such circumstances.
The current scale of detention exacerbates the ODLS issues. There are more than 70,000 people in ICE custody, an 80% increase since December 2024. The Trump administration is detaining people at an unprecedented scale, according to the lawmakers.
Frequent transfers of detainees make ODLS updates more challenging. Matters are further complicated by individuals being held in unconventional settings, including military bases, state-run facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz,” ICE field offices and, soon, warehouses built for storing packages.
Some experts expressed concerns that these issues could be intentional, used by ICE to remove people from jurisdictions with more protective laws or favorable judges. One ICE agent reportedly told a detainee being transferred from California to Indiana that it was “thanks to the laws in California.”
In their letter, the lawmakers formally requested the DHS Inspector General to address several points to understand the scope of the problem. They specifically asked for information on why the ODLS system has reduced its timeliness, the types of information ICE does not add to the system and the practices ICE employs for updating location information.
The lawmakers concluded their letter by requesting that the DHS Office of Inspector General conduct an evaluation of the matter to understand the problem’s full scope, the reasons for reporting gaps and the impacts on detainees and their families.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.
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Medford native Maria Menounos hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ in Yarmouth
Medford native and celebrity Maria Menounos is hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ at Red Jacket Beach Resort & Spa in Yarmouth.
Looking for a beach where fellow beachgoers have good manners?
Travel website Exoticca conducted a survey and found the beach with the best beach etiquette in each state, including Massachusetts, so you can know the place where Bay Staters treat both the beach and each other with the most respect.
“We surveyed 3,011 Americans to find out where beachgoers are seen as having the best etiquette, and the results say quite a lot about what people actually want from a beach vacation,” Exoticca said.
In Massachusetts, voters said to head to the North Shore.
Crane Beach — Ipswich, Massachusetts
The extremely popular Crane Beach in the North Shore town of Ipswich was voted the best for beach etiquette by Exoticca’s readers.
Exoticca said that the places that scored the highest in positive beach etiquette were places where people focused on the clarity of the water and the beautiful scenery rather than external distractions like seaside restaurants or shops on the boardwalk, where “everyone around seems to understand that nobody wants the place spoiled.”
Crane Beach is known for its white sand and conservation. It’s one of the nesting places for piping plovers, according to The Trustees.
“To protect threatened shorebirds during your visit, we ask that you avoid the fenced nesting areas and the wrack, the line of washed-up organic debris where the birds feed and hide,” the Trustees said.
Despite having 350,000 people visit annually, according to the Trustees, Crane Beach still achieved the top spot of beach etiquette.
How to visit Crane Beach
Barring going on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or on Veterans’ Day for families with veterans, visitors do have to buy tickets for vehicle entry and parking. Tickets are cheaper if visitors arrive via motorcycle, biking, or walking.
“Strict rules apply: no drop-offs, re-entry for nonmembers, or outside food delivery; dogs and horses are not allowed April 1–September 30,” the ticket selection webpage said.
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.
Massachusetts
Mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Cape Cod said to be largest in Massachusetts history
Rescuers were working to save around 30 bottlenose dolphins that got stranded off the coast of Cape Cod early Monday morning. It is the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The dolphins had become stranded between First Light and Ellis Landing in Brewster at about 5:30 a.m. when they came in with the tide. A woman noticed the animals and reported it. The IFAW quickly responded to the area, but five to six of the marine mammals died before help arrived.
The IFAW worked throughout the day on Monday to get the mammals away from the shoreline before the next low tide at 5:13 p.m. They said late Monday afternoon that they were still successfully being steered away.
“Our team remains in the area to monitor and herd the animals away from shore,” an IFAW spokesperson said. “We know these events can sometimes repeat in the coming hours and days, but we remain hopeful.”
The organization said it had seen an uptick in bottlenose dolphins becoming stranded off Cape Cod in the last few years.
“Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species,” the spokesperson said.
They asked that anyone who encounters a stranded or distressed marine mammal not get close and never drag or push the animal back into the water.
“Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event,” the IFAW said.
Instead, they recommend calling their IFAW stranding hotline at 508-743-9548.
A man has died following an apparent drowning at a pond in Randolph, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
The Randolph police and fire departments received a 911 call at around 4 p.m. for a swimmer in distress in the water on Pond Street, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office..
Firefighters located the man a short time later, officials added, and he was taken by ambulance to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Kingston Fire Department had said just before 4 p.m. that their dive team was activated for a missing swimmer in Randolph, but that the activation was canceled after the swimmer was located.
Further information is not being released at this time, including the man’s name.
Massachusetts State Police detectives and the Randolph Police Department are investigating.
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