Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she would not allow state police to assist the incoming Trump administration in the mass deportations of illegal migrants from her state.
"No, absolutely not," Healey said Wednesday night on MSNBC's "The Last Word."
President-elect Donald Trump ran on a platform of closing the border on day one but also deporting the millions of illegal migrants allowed in the country under the immigration and "open border" policies of the Biden-Harris administration.
"But let me say this, I do think it's important that we all recognize that there's going to be a lot of pressure on states and state officials, and I can assure you, we're going to work really hard to deliver," Healey said.
"Some realities also need to be, you know, noted. And that is, in 2016, we had a very different situation in the courts. And while I'm sure there may be litigation ahead, you know, there's a lot of other ways that people are going to act and need to act for the sake of their states and their residents.
"There's regulatory authority and executive powers and the like. There's legislation also within our states," she said.
"So I think that the key here is that, you know, every tool in the toolbox is going to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents, and protect our states, and certainly to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle."
The Center for Migration Studies put the illegal population in the U.S. at 11.7 million as of July 2023.
Trump maintained throughout his campaign that the number is likely closer to 20 million. Regardless, he promised "the largest deportation program in American history" as soon as he takes office in January.