Masks off

Fifty-nine percent of people polled in a UMass/WCVB survey support a ban on ICE agents wearing masks to hide their identity. The issue of mask bans has come up at the State House and drawn support from some elected officials as videos of masked immigration agents snatching people off streets in Massachusetts and elsewhere continue to circulate on social media.

Twenty-eight percent oppose a ban, while 13% didn’t take a position.

Appearing on “Boston Public Radio” on Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey said she is aware of a California law, recently signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, called the “No Secret Police Act,” which will take effect in January. Trump administration officials have dismissed the law, since state and local officials cannot make policy for federal officials.

Healey acknowledged that, and sought to separate federal law enforcement from local and state police, noting that the latter wear badges, and identify themselves. Residents can “distinguish between what they’re seeing from ICE and those who’ve been called in with promises of a $50,000 bonus to come work for ICE, and the work of men and women in our local police departments,” she said.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell sounded a similar note, saying immigration falls squarely in the purview of the federal government.

Her federal counterpart, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley, has repeatedly claimed that agents are masked because of threats against them and their families. But a Boston-based federal judge recently disagreed, compared the agents to “cowardly desperados” and the KKK, and added, “ICE goes masked for a single reason — to terrorize Americans into quiescence.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has voiced support for a statewide mask ban on federal officials, saying the masked agents are undermining public safety by eroding trust in government. As if to underscore her point, she announced this week a contract extension with the conservative Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA) that requires uniformed officers to wear name tags.

At the State House, anti-masking proposals haven’t advanced far. Rep. Jim Hawkins (D-Attleboro) filed a House bill in July. In the Senate, an amendment from Rebecca Rausch (D-Needham) based on the California law came up as part of a spending package last month. But she withdrew it, indicating state lawmakers were still working on the issue. The amendment had eight co-sponsors. “There’s a lot of legal nuance here as to what we can do within the realm of state policy, as distinct from federal law,” she said.

The slow movement comes despite what Senate President Karen Spilka told reporters earlier that day, saying that ICE is creating a climate of fear among some residents. “I mean, they think they’re being kidnapped. It’s almost like the 1930s Germany, here in Massachusetts and across our country,” Spilka said.

The issue might also surface on the gubernatorial campaign trail. Asked about Healey and Wu’s comments, GOP candidates Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Kennealy placed the blame on them as federal government adversaries. “If they want the neighborhood raids to stop and the masks to come off, the best approach would be to meet federal immigration enforcement at the courthouse or jailhouse door to deliver criminal illegal immigrants to them for deportation,” Shortsleeve said.

Given the way federal law works, should state legislators even attempt to pass something? What else should be on their agenda as they make their way through the 2025-2026 session? Let me know: gin@massterlist.com.

HAPPENING TODAY

7:45 | The annual Massachusetts Investor Conference kicks off. Topics include cybersecurity, AI and ease of use technology for improving services and efficiency, the impact of surtax revenue, and the state economy. Treasurer Deb Goldberg speaks at 10:45 a.m. and Gov. Maura Healey speaks at 11:15 a.m. | Menino Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston | More Info

9:30 | The Boston Foundation hosts a forum on the impact of the 2024 omnibus maternal health law. Elaine Fitzgerald Lewis, director of the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition at the Department of Public Health, will discuss progress and challenges so far. | 75 Arlington St., 3rd floor, Boston | Register

9:30 | Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and local Woburn officials join Cabot, Cabot & Forbes CEO Jay Doherty for the groundbreaking of the “The Bolt,” a center for innovation. | 216 New Boston St., Woburn

10:00 | The Greater Boston Food Bank holds its annual Chain of Giving event, in which officials and volunteers unload a truck of turkeys to ensure eastern Massachusetts residents can enjoy a holiday meal. Speaking program includes remarks from Gov. Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, Shaw’s and Star Market Vice President Jim O’Leary. | 70 South Bay Ave., Boston

2:30 | Robert Sullivan and Moises Rodrigues, Brockton mayor and mayor-elect, are joined by Eastern Bank’s Quincy Miller to announce a $1 million donation from the Eastern Bank Foundation to address food insecurity. | Brockton City Hall, 45 School St., Brockton

FROM BEACON HILL

PUBLIC DEFENDER PAY: The Supreme Judicial Court appears reluctant to insert itself into a fight between lawmakers and private lawyers who represent indigent defendants and want higher pay. – CommonWealth Beacon

OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE BILL: House lawmakers approved a bill clearing away offensive and outdated language referring to people with disabilities from state laws. The vote is an indication that the bill has its best chance of reaching the governor’s desk, more than 15 years after it was proposed. – State House News Service

AUDIT STALEMATE: One year after voters overwhelmingly approved giving legal authority to the state auditor to audit the Legislature, there hasn’t been much movement as Diana DiZoglio continues to press for one. – WBUR

TAX COLLECTIONS: State tax collections came in above benchmark for the month of October as state officials weigh how to handle federal budget cuts and tax relief proposals. – State House News Service

FIRED HEALEY AIDE: Beacon Hill Republicans are demanding “full transparency” from the Healey administration on how LaMar Cook, who was hit with cocaine charges, was hired as deputy director of the western Massachusetts office in Springfield. – Boston Herald

NEWS NEXT DOOR

TARIFF TALK: Congressman Richard Neal said he is optimistic about the U.S. Supreme Court will rein in President Trump’s tariff authority. The Springfield Democrat was in the audience for oral arguments Wednesday. – MassLive

CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS: Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch’s campaign reached an agreement with state campaign finance regulators to pay a $55,000 penalty to resolve allegations that it received illegal corporate contributions and prohibited anonymous donations. – WBUR

LOGAN ON THE LIST: Logan Airport is among the places seeing a reduction in flights due to the federal government shutdown. – ABC News

SPRINGFIELD COUNCIL: Two Springfield city councilors, Tracye Whitfield and Melvin Edwards, each claim they have enough votes to become the city council president. – MassLive