BOSTON — Representative Antonio Cabral secured some significant funding for New Bedford as the House unanimously passed its proposed $47.72 billion FY2022 budget on Thursday, and also saw the House unanimously pass his proposal to require the state’s sheriffs to report the finances of their agreements with ICE.
The language passed by the House requires the state’s county sheriffs and the Department of Corrections to report the costs, reimbursements, and expenses associated with their agreements with US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) every quarter beginning in October 2021.
“I have been fighting this fight because I believe deputizing prison officials to act as federal immigration agents is bad public policy,” Rep. Cabral (D-New Bedford) said in a press release. “It is ineffective, breaks down the relationship between the immigrant community and genuine law enforcement, and is costly to Massachusetts taxpayers who must cover the expense. This new reporting requirement is the first step in understanding the true cost of these programs.”