Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Releases New Guidance to Implement PROTECT Act in Schools and Child Care Programs

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today released new model policies, procedures and guidance to help K-12 schools and child care programs respond to civil immigration enforcement, protect confidential information and implement the PROTECT Act ahead of the 2026–2027 school year. 

The resources provide school districts, charter schools, educational collaboratives and licensed or state-funded early education and care programs with clear steps to follow if ICE agents arrive on site or request access to a student, child or their information. They address designating staff points of contact, reviewing and responding to requests, involving legal counsel when appropriate, documenting interactions, notifying families and protecting confidential information.

“As families prepare for the new school year, every child should feel safe walking into their classroom and every parent should feel confident dropping them off,” said Governor Maura Healey. “The PROTECT Act makes clear that schools and child care programs are places for children to learn and grow, not places for ICE to target families. These resources give educators and providers the clear guidance they need to put those protections into practice.”

“Schools and child care programs are at the heart of our communities, and local educators and providers deserve to feel prepared as they welcome families back,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These model policies give them clear, practical steps to follow so they can support children, communicate with families and put the PROTECT Act into practice.”

Under the PROTECT Act, civil arrests are generally prohibited on school grounds and on the premises of covered child care programs without a judicial warrant or judicial order. The law also requires covered schools and programs to adopt policies governing interactions with civil law enforcement.

Those policies must be in effect by September 1, 2026, or the first day of the 2026–2027 school year, whichever is earlier. The law’s protections apply regardless of whether a school or program has completed its required policy.

“Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe, welcoming environment – and every family deserves to know that we will protect them from aggressive tactics employed by ICE that do nothing to enhance public safety,” said Attorney General Andrea Campbell. “I applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration for releasing guidance that informs schools and childcare centers of their rights and obligations under the PROTECT Act. My office will continue to work with our partners across the state to ensure these important protections are understood and upheld across the Commonwealth.”

"Today we are putting a core principle of the PROTECT Act into action: no family should fear that a normal day at school or day care can be disrupted by President Trump's ICE agents," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "The Senate led on this legislation to protect Massachusetts students and families, and today's guidance does exactly that. I applaud the Governor for implementing the PROTECT Act quickly and efficiently."

“Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, dangerous and illegal actions taken by federal immigration agents have immigrants in Massachusetts living in fear as they go about their daily lives, including when they bring their children to school,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “These measures are about ensuring that the Commonwealth is doing everything it can to preserve schools as safe spaces for learning, rather than allowing them to become opportunities for warrantless harassment and detainment. I’m grateful to Governor Healey, the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and to all my colleagues in the Legislature for working to make these practical protections a reality.”

“Students, children and families across Massachusetts deserve to feel safe when they walk through the doors of their school or child care program,” said Education Secretary Dr. Steve Zrike. “These new resources give schools and early education and care programs clear, practical guidance to implement the PROTECT Act and ensure educators and providers know how to respond to civil immigration enforcement. We will continue working with schools and programs across Massachusetts to support them as they put this law into action.”

Earlier this month, Governor Healey signed the PROTECT Act, landmark legislation establishing some of the strongest protections in the nation against overreach by federal immigration authorities. The law limits civil arrests in courthouses, schools, child care programs and nonpublic areas of health care facilities. It also strictly limits state and local participation in civil immigration enforcement, strengthens guardianship options for families if a parent is detained or deported and creates a state civil rights remedy for constitutional violations.

For K-12 schools, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released model policies and procedures for school districts, charter schools and educational collaboratives. The resources establish steps for designating school and district points of contact, involving legal counsel, reviewing judicial warrants and orders, documenting interactions with civil law enforcement and notifying a parent or guardian if an agent requests access to a student or their information.

The resources also provide procedures for alerting school communities when civil law enforcement agents are confirmed on school grounds while protecting individual privacy, updating student emergency contacts and sharing the policies with students and families.

"This important work builds on guidance that the administration issued last year, clarifies how schools should respond, and reinforces the need for communication with families," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. "I know that our school communities want to keep students safe, and we will work with districts to help them implement the PROTECT Act."

The Department of Early Education and Care also released policies and guidance for licensed and EEC-funded child care centers, family child care homes, school-aged child care programs and group care facilities. The resources provide procedures for designating a staff point of contact, responding to requests and documenting all interactions with civil law enforcement.

“Children and families deserve to feel safe and supported when accessing high-quality early education and care,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “The PROTECT Act reflects the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s and EEC’s continued commitment to supporting safe, welcoming early education environments and ensuring programs have the resources, guidance, and support they need.”

EEC has also partnered with the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants to provide Know Your Rights training for the early education and care community. The training includes information about immigrant and refugee rights, available legal resources and interactions with immigration and law enforcement officers. The Attorney General’s Office has provided additional guidance to early education and care programs on protecting child, family and employee information.

“Every child in Massachusetts should be able to go to school or child care feeling safe, supported, and focused on learning, and every family should be able to access these essential services without fear,” said Cristina Aguilera, Executive Director of the Office for Refugees and Immigrants. “By making sure early education and care providers have clear information and practical tools, we can help them better support immigrant and refugee families and respond appropriately when immigration enforcement issues arise. Our office is committed to supporting the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s efforts to implement the PROTECT Act and ensure that families across the Commonwealth understand their rights and can continue to access the essential services their children rely on.”

The new resources build on actions the Healey-Driscoll Administration has taken to protect Massachusetts communities from civil immigration enforcement. In January, Governor Healey signed Executive Order 650 to protect access to essential state services, limit civil immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of state facilities and prohibit new 287(g) agreements unless there is a public safety need. 

In May, the Administration issued statewide guidance to help schools, child care providers, higher education campuses and other organizations protect access to essential services, understand their rights and responsibilities, and prepare staff to respond appropriately if federal immigration officers arrive on site. 

“The Massachusetts Legislature is committed to protecting our schools and communities from the cruel, misguided, and inhumane immigration policies of the Trump administration,” said Senator Jason Lewis, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “As school districts establish new policies and procedures in line with the PROTECT Act, I appreciate the quick work of the Healey-Driscoll Administration in releasing these model policies.” 

“In Massachusetts, we know how critical it is for students to feel secure, supported, and able to focus on learning,” said Representative Ken Gordon, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “The PROTECT Act will help ensure that our students are not targeted in the very place where they should feel safest, at school, so they can focus on their education.”

The Healey-Driscoll Administration will continue working with schools and early education and care programs across Massachusetts to fully implement the PROTECT Act and make sure its protections reach the students, children and families they were designed to protect.

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