Blue state governor sounds off about ‘disturbing’ ICE operations on affluent liberal islands

Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey is sounding off about her frustrations with ICE’s latest operations in her state, saying she found it “disturbing” to hear about the arrests of some 40 illegal immigrants in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

ICE, working with several other federal law enforcement agencies, conducted a series of immigration enforcement operations in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard on Tuesday. An ICE statement said “around 40” individuals were arrested as a result of the operations, including an MS-13 gang member and at least one child sex offender.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said that “ICE and our federal partners made a strong stand for prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our New England neighborhoods” and that “operations like this highlight the strong alliances that ICE shares with our fellow law enforcement partners.”

Healey, however, took a very different tone about the operations. The governor said that “it was very disturbing, needless to say, to wake up to that news about that activity on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket,” according to the Boston Herald.

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“Local police chiefs have zero information about what’s happening in their communities. We at the state level have zero information about what’s happening in communities. And that needs to change. We need to get answers. We need to get clarification from ICE,” said Healey.  

The outlet also reported Healey saying the arrests raised “real questions” about whether federal immigration authorities are complying with due process.

“It’s one thing to go after and target those who have committed crimes, who are here unlawfully,” said Healey. “It’s concerning when we see people, moms and dads, being ripped away from families. Neighbors, coworkers taken away, literally it looks like, on the way to job sites in Nantucket and on the Vineyard.”

Trump DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, told Fox News Digital that “ICE did notify local authorities about the enforcement operations.”

“Before the Governor criticizes our brave law enforcement, she should get her facts straight—apparently, she is the one with ‘zero information,’” continued McLaughlin.

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“What we find ‘disturbing’ and ‘concerning’ is politicians like Massachusetts Gov. Healey fighting to protect criminal illegal aliens,” she continued, adding, “Our ICE officers will continue putting their lives and safety on the line to arrest murderers, kidnappers, and pedophiles that were let into our country by the Biden administration’s open border policies.”

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Martha’s Vineyard, which is a heavily affluent and deeply blue area, made headlines in 2022 when residents promptly removed the migrants being sent to the island from southern states like Florida and Texas.

After Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent two planes with 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in September 2022, the island activated the National Guard in response and released a statement calling the situation a “humanitarian crisis.” The 50 migrants were ultimately loaded onto buses two days after arriving and transported off Martha’s Vineyard to military housing on the Cape Cod mainland.

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On Wednesday, Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts migrant-shelter director, told Fox News Digital that “it’s deeply troubling that Governor Healey finds the arrests of nearly 40 undocumented individuals on Cape Cod ‘disturbing,’ yet continues to refuse cooperation with federal agencies like ICE and ERO Boston—even when those agencies are targeting individuals with known criminal records.”

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He continued, saying, “law enforcement was doing its job — removing people who pose a danger to public safety” and asserted that “the majority of the public— including right here in Massachusetts — supports the work of Tom Homan, ICE, and ERO because they understand that public safety must come first, regardless of political affiliation.”

“Even in one of the bluest states in the country, people expect their leaders to prioritize their safety over partisan agendas,” said Fetherston. “The real concern here should be the safety of our communities, not political optics.”

Healey’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.