A bill proposed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to give local police the authority to detain undocumented immigrants wanted for serious crimes has been endorsed by two law enforcement organizations.
The Massachusetts Association of Police Chiefs and the state chapter of the Major City Police Chiefs Association called Baker’s proposal a “common sense” and “safety-oriented” approach.
Immigrant rights groups and the ACLU have criticized the plan.
" I think Gov. Baker's bill represents a full frontal attack on constitutional rights and the rights of undocumented immigrants," Diana Sierra, an organizer with the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, said.
Baker filed the bill in response to a ruling from the state’s highest court that struck down a policy the Republican governor put in place last year that allowed local and Massachusetts State Police to cooperate, on a limited basis, with federal immigration agents.
The state legislature could take up the bill when lawmakers return from summer recess.
