Executive Order  No. 655: Amending Executive Order No. 650 to Strengthen Protections for Places of Worship

Executive Order No. 650 is hereby amended by inserting, after the first paragraph of Section 4, the following paragraph:  

The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Access and Opportunity, in collaboration with the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, is immediately directed to assist places of worship seeking to adopt policies for: (i) interacting with federal immigration officers; and (ii) requiring a judicial warrant or judicial order for entry by federal immigration officers.  The Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Access and Opportunity, in collaboration with the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, shall also: (i) provide resources and model policies to assist such places of worship; and (ii) offer trainings and other support, as appropriate, to such places of worship to promote safety in Massachusetts’ communities.