Following Amherst and Northampton, Measure Condemns Unlawful ICE Actions and Urges State and Local Law Enforcement to Hold Federal Agents Accountable When They Commit Crimes in Massachusetts

EASTHAMPTON, MA (July 16, 2026) – The Easthampton City Council voted unanimously last night to pass a resolution calling on Massachusetts state and local prosecutors to investigate and prosecute federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, when they violate Massachusetts criminal law while operating in the Commonwealth.

The “Resolution in Support of Holding Federal Immigration Agents Accountable for Violations of Massachusetts Criminal Law,” reaffirms Easthampton’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities and condemns unconstitutional or unlawful immigration enforcement actions targeting Massachusetts residents.

The measure specifically calls on Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan to investigate and pursue accountability when federal officers engage in conduct that violates state criminal statutes.

“Last night, the Easthampton City Council delivered a strong message of support for immigrant justice by unanimously passing a Resolution in Support of Holding Federal Immigration Agents Accountable for Violations of Massachusetts Criminal Law,” said Easthampton resident Sara Weinberger, a lead organizer in support of the resolution and a member of the Western Mass Immigrant Legislative Advocacy Network. “Easthampton residents lined up to voice their support for the resolution, some sharing their own immigrant histories, while others voiced their grief and frustration at the ruthless actions of federal agents and the Trump administration. City councilors also spoke poignantly about their own reasons for supporting the resolution. When the vote was taken, the room broke out in applause. I am proud of my little city with such a big heart, a city where so many people refuse to be bystanders.”

Free Speech For People, a national legal advocacy organization that supported similar resolutions passed in Amherst and Northampton, Massachusetts, welcomed the vote.

“Federal agents are not above state criminal law,” said John Bonifaz, President of Free Speech For People. “The Constitution does not grant federal agents immunity to commit murder, assault and battery, kidnapping, unlawful detention, or other crimes. State and local prosecutors have both the authority and the obligation to enforce state criminal laws when federal officers violate them.”

The resolution follows similar actions recently taken by the Amherst Town Council and Northampton City Council and reflects growing concern among local officials throughout Massachusetts over federal immigration enforcement practices.

“I am thrilled to see this resolution pass in Easthampton,” said Amherst Town Councilor Jill Brevik, the lead sponsor of the resolution passed on February 23, 2026, by the Amherst Town Council. “I hope other municipalities will continue to follow suit until we see real, tangible change at the state level, including ending the only remaining 287g agreement in New England, which we have not seen addressed by state officials to date.”

Under the Easthampton resolution, copies will be transmitted to Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, and members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.

Free Speech For People is leading a national campaign calling on state and local prosecutors in multiple states across the country to open criminal investigations into President Trump, senior Trump officials, and ICE agents for conspiring to unlawfully arrest, detain, assault, and terrorize residents, including U.S. citizens, in their states. The organization has issued a series of detailed letters to state attorneys general and district attorneys urging them to carry out their duties to enforce state criminal laws against Trump and co-conspirators for crimes they have committed in their respective states. To access Free Speech For People’s December 2025 letter to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and local district attorneys, click here. To access all of the organization’s letters related to this campaign, click here.

To access the Easthampton City Council resolution, click here.