Massachusetts Immigration Laws

Effective July 1, 2023, Massachusetts allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a standard driver's license using alternative documentation (foreign passport, consular ID, or ITIN). A ballot referendum to repeal the law was defeated by voters in November 2022.

DACA recipients and certain undocumented students who attended Massachusetts high schools for at least 3 years and graduated are eligible for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities.

Massachusetts provides state-funded health coverage to certain immigrant populations through MassHealth, including pregnant individuals, children, and adults meeting certain criteria regardless of immigration status. Coverage is more expansive than federal Medicaid requirements.

While Massachusetts has not passed a statewide sanctuary law, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Lunn v. Commonwealth (2017) that state and local law enforcement cannot honor ICE detainer requests without judicial probable cause. Many cities (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, etc.) have formal sanctuary policies.