The day after she imposed a sweeping hiring freeze across the executive branch, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said her office is working to ensure the public doesn’t see any drop-off in services.

“Well, my commitment is to make sure [they don’t], and I’ve said public safety positions are off the table as our direct care positions there off the table,” Healey said Thursday after she attended the grand opening of Lego’s new offices in Boston’s Back Bay.

“I can tell you’ve got an incredibly hard-working team across government,” she continued. “I’m asking them to do more, and you know, I’m confident they’ll rise to that challenge.”

The Democratic administration announced the hiring freeze on Wednesday for the offices and agencies under its control, pointing to “widespread economic uncertainty” at the national level, and a “tightening budget outlook” at home.

It is set to take effect on May 27 and last until lawmakers approve a new budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Agencies ranging from the Department of Transportation and Correction to Health and Human Services will be barred from hiring new employees. And there won’t be a waiver process, Healey’s office said in a statement.

The state budget is premised on $16 billion in federal support, and Healey and her Democratic allies on Beacon Hill have repeatedly said the state can’t backfill the money on its own.

Asked about the potential for job cuts because of the freeze, Healey appeared to rule it out, but did acknowledge that “we’ve just got to take it as it comes here, right?”

“And my job every day is to try to evaluate what’s happening, try to be proactive and also prepare,” she continued. “And you know, as I’ve said, these, these cuts by the Trump administration, unfortunately, have real consequences.”

This week, Healey sent a letter to the top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture committees, urging them to back off planned cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as “food stamps.”

Planned GOP cuts could cost the state up to $710 million a year, impacting 1 million state residents, the administration said in a statement.

On Thursday, Healey reiterated the impact of cutting the program that serves the neediest Bay State residents.

“We’re talking seniors, we’re talking single moms, we’re talking children, and he’s cutting that so you know, our job is to continue to monitor the situation, to try to be proactive and to plan, and that’s why I thought I was responsible to institute the hiring freeze,” she said.

The Trump administration is warning Massachusetts communities to stay clear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations or else. But one local law enforcement leader is urging calm from all parties.

Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger is calling for restraint after recent encounters between federal law enforcement and the public that have become more confrontational, including last week in Worcester and Tuesday in Waltham.

“Everybody just needs to take a step back,” said Coppinger, who formerly served as chief of the Lynn Police Department.

Most recent incident in Waltham occurred Tuesday when video showed ICE agents smashing the glass of a van to take a man out and handcuff him as community members pleaded for them to stop.

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Recent ICE arrests in the Bay State have been met with resistance from members of the public.

“We have to maintain the peace — not take sides, but maintain the peace so nobody gets hurt,” Coppinger said.

He deals with ICE on a regular basis at the county jail. He said his involvement with the federal agency is limited by state law, unable to hold inmates for them who post bail.

He said the lack of collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement shouldn’t limit their communication, especially when agents are out in the streets.

“My request to ICE in general would be notify local police and the district attorneys or any local law enforcement that may be involved, especially in light of all the chaos and all the tension that’s in our communities now over this,” he said.

Community members across Massachusetts are reacting to recent ICE activity, with protesters taking to the streets in Worcester and advocates in Waltham working to inform people of their rights.

“You’re separating families. These are hard working people. They’re not criminals,” yelled one woman who confronted ICE agents on Moody Street in Waltham Tuesday morning. “I hope when you die, you know you did the right thing!”

Retired ICE San Antonio Deputy Field Director Julian Calderas said he’s noticed a lot more hostility recently. He warned that a situation can easily turn violent, especially if agents feel threatened.

“If [the public] have a problem with what they’re seeing or observing, there is many different ways that they could express that dissatisfaction, but I certainly would not get involved,” he said.

Calderas added that ICE can arrest people without presenting a warrant.

“If they’re here illegally, and they know they’re here illegally, they can arrest them. I think when people ask for a warrant or an order, I’m not sure people know exactly what they’re asking for,” Calderas said. “If they have an order from the judge that was ordered in absentia, the person didn’t show up for court and they were ordered deported, that’s one order. They’ve got a reinstatement of a prior deportation, that’s another order that’s an administrative order — they’re not all from the judge, you know? And then you’ve got some that may have committed a felony and entry after a felony, that’s a separate thing. So there’s some little nuances, but the common theme is if they go into a place and they’re looking for one person that they have an order of deportation for, and there’s five people there they don’t have an order for, but they’re here illegally, then they can arrest them, too.”

Video shows federal agents breaking the window of an SUV and forcing a man out of the vehicle while his wife and child were inside as the family was leaving church.

“I think what people are concerned with is when they show up looking for one specific person, ‘Show me the warrant,’ they’re getting a lot of that — they’re not going to come to their door if they don’t have a reason for it,” he added.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley issued a statement Wednesday threatening criminal charges against anyone who interferes.

“The interference with ICE operations around Massachusetts has been disturbing, to say the least. This conduct poses significant public and officer safety risks. It is conduct that should be vilified rather than glorified,” Foley wrote. “I will not stand idly by if any public official, public safety officer, organization or private citizen acts in a manner that criminally obstructs or impedes ICE operations. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our federal partners, will investigate any violations of federal law and pursue charges that are warranted by such activity.”

As House lawmakers review a massive budget bill that seeks to find $1.5 trillion in cuts, the process is setting off alarm bells among Massachusetts congressional delegation that Medicaid will be caught in the crosshairs.

“This bill, as currently proposed, will cut health care for 14 million members of the American family,” Rep. Richard Neal said Tuesday.

“Republicans are passing this policy in the middle of the night and they’re cutting in this way to create tax cuts for people who don’t need tax cuts,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson insists federally paid Medicaid expansion costs won’t be touched, but those assurances seem to fall flat with Bay State leaders and medical providers.

“It’s almost like revenue death by a thousand cuts,” said Dr. Lisa Jones of Health First Family Care Center.

“No state in the country can make up for the kind of cuts that are being talked about,” Gov. Maura Healey said.

That’s not the only health care-related concern in Massachusetts. State lawmakers are discussing the availability and affordability of personal care physicians.

“We have a health care system where patients go into debt to get medical care, where health care workers don’t have the resources they need,” Massachusetts State Sen. Cindy Friedman said.

“Support for community health organizations is needed now more than ever,” Massachusetts State Sen. John Keenan said.

Healey says the issue remains a top priority for her administration.

“That includes paying them more,” Healey said.