BRAINTREE -- Gov. Maura Healey has proposed legislation that would restrict federal immigration enforcement inside of Massachusetts churches.

Speaking at a Beacon Hill press conference on Jan. 29, Gov. Healey announced that she is introducing legislation that would protect "sensitive places" such as churches, schools, daycares, courthouses, and healthcare facilities from ICE agents. Under the legislation, ICE agents would not be allowed to enter these "sensitive places."

Healey also promised that she would use her powers as governor to prevent ICE from being on state property or entering buildings owned by the state. The Massachusetts Department of Public Safety would also have to approve any future state contracts with ICE.

Representing the Archdiocese of Boston at the press conference, Bishop Cristiano Barbosa said that Healey is "addressing issues directly pertinent to the common good of our society in this time."

"As a bishop, I focus here on the legal reestablishment of protection for sensitive locations, insulating them from civil arrest," he said.

He said that churches "provide safe spaces in our country today."

"Gov. Healey's proposal speaks directly to a pressing civic need," he said. "Our society today is on edge in multiple ways, more so than we are accustomed to in this richly diverse land."

Bishop Barbosa's support of the legislation comes at a time of increased tension between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church in the U.S. Catholic Charities' work with immigrants and refugees has fallen under government scrutiny, resulting in massive federal funding cuts last year.

In his remarks, Bishop Barbosa referenced the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Special Message on Immigration, released in November 2025. The message, which Archbishop Richard G. Henning helped draft, states that the bishops "are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools."

"We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement," the bishops' statement reads. "We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants."

"As an immigrant myself and as a bishop ministering here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I can confirm that many among the good people we serve are experiencing and living in constant fear and distress," Bishop Barbosa said.

Bishop Barbosa was born in Brazil and is the second Catholic bishop of Brazilian descent in U.S. history. As a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, he ministered to Portuguese-speaking communities and continues to work with diverse immigrant groups as the auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese's Central Region, which includes the city of Boston, and as secretary for evangelization and discipleship.

"All human beings with their God-given dignity deserve to feel safe and protected," he said.

ICE has traditionally refrained from entering "sensitive locations" such as churches. Upon taking office in 2025, President Donald Trump rescinded a Biden-era memo, which explicitly told ICE not to target churches and other "sensitive locations." As of March 2025, a court order required ICE to follow Biden administration guidelines. Bishop Barbosa said that state laws are now necessary to protect immigrant communities.

"We are a nation under God, that's how we say," he said. "And in our traditions, God is the one who teaches us to care for the poor, the vulnerable, to welcome the stranger, to care for them, to promote them, to integrate them."