BOSTON — Massachusetts is inching toward full-blown official sanctuary state status, with lawmakers pushing a sweeping new Safe Communities Act that would shield illegals from ICE while BANNING police statewide from asking about immigration status — and no department would be allowed to opt out.

The proposal, first reported by MassLive, now before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, goes far beyond the patchwork of sanctuary-style policies in Boston and Cambridge. For the first time, the state would lock these rules into law, forcing every police department — from Pittsfield to Plymouth — to follow a single set of strict regulations that severely limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Under the bill (S.1681 / H.2580), police, court officers, and correctional officials would be prohibited from inquiring about a person’s immigration status unless required by law. Officers would also be barred from notifying ICE when an illegal immigrant is about to be released from custody, except at the end of a criminal sentence. And in a dramatic new twist, ICE agents would not be able to interview anyone in state or local custody without first obtaining written, informed consent — essentially a Miranda-style rights form for immigration.

The bill’s sponsors — Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Reps. Manny Cruz and Priscila Sousa — argue that local police should not act as federal immigration agents. Eldridge told the committee that Massachusetts taxpayer dollars “shouldn’t be used to help ICE detain people,” insisting the measure is needed to calm “fear in immigrant communities.”

But critics say the Safe Communities Act would shield illegal immigrants from ICE by design, making it nearly impossible for local authorities to cooperate with federal agents, even in cases involving repeat offenders.

The bill has enormous political backing on Beacon Hill, with 23 senators, 67 representatives, and more than 150 activist groups — including the powerful MIRA Coalition — lining up behind the effort. Supporters claim the current system “erodes trust” between police and immigrant neighborhoods.

Opponents argue it does something else entirely: it transforms Massachusetts from a de facto sanctuary state into an explicit, legally enforced sanctuary jurisdiction, similar to California and Illinois — but with even tighter statewide mandates and no ability for police chiefs or sheriffs to opt out.

During the packed State House hearing, lawmakers showcased emotional anecdotes, including Sen. Liz Miranda describing deportation threats faced by her own family. But the political stakes are far broader. If passed, the Safe Communities Act would permanently change how Massachusetts handles immigration enforcement, raise new questions about public safety, and put the Commonwealth firmly on the map as one of the most aggressive sanctuary states in America.