Does Massachusetts GOP support Trump administration's immigration actions? Party chair weighs in.
Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts GOP provided a local perspective on immigration activity under the Trump administration, as well as local issues impacting state Republicans.
Mass. Republican response to ICE actions
Carnevale was asked if the Massachusetts Republican Party supports the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles and other cities where protests against ICE arrests of immigrants are going on.
"I do think it's clear that voters last November voted to enforce our immigration laws, and I think that's something that the Republicans generally, and Massachusetts Republicans, even, support," Carnevale said. "That being said, we certainly have compassion for those individuals who have entered into our country and into our state seeking a better life, and so we do think that they should be addressed in a compassionate manner. But that being said, they did break the law coming in, and a majority of Americans do feel that our laws should be enforced but done so in a compassionate way."
Mass. GOP chair on Tufts immigration case
A new (mostly in Massachusetts but also including New Hampshire and Rhode Island) found a 53%-41% majority opposing the Trump administration's drive to deport immigrants here illegally.
When respondents were asked about the case of Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts graduate student here legally on a student visa who was arrested on the street by ICE agents and shipped out of state to spend 45 days in lockup without any charges filed or evidence presented other than she co authored a pro-Palestinian op-ed in the student newspaper, opposition was off the charts. A total of 70% of those polled disapproved of that, 58% strongly.
"I think it's important to differentiate our federal enforcement of laws from Massachusetts Republicans and the issues we're focused on here in Massachusetts as elected officials and as Republicans in the party. We're really focused on economic issues here in Massachusetts and making our life better," Carnevale said. "We'll talk about things like the crisis in our shelters and the treatment of individuals in our shelters. So that's really been our focus as Massachusetts Republicans, more so than the deportation of individuals. ... You'll hear many Republicans say that they do believe in freedom of speech, but that being said, you know, when there's a fine line, when you have an individual who is here as a guest in the United States, if they're inciting violence, I think that's where the line should be drawn. And I think this poll shows that perhaps the administration went too far in this situation."
Gov. Healey's tax proposals
Carnevale sounded the alarm over recent proposals for new taxes by the Healey administration.
"Thankfully, [they were] shot down by the Legislature, but nevertheless, [she was] proposing new taxes to cover the increase in expenses. And so at some point, we are seeing an outmigration of businesses in Massachusetts, and that's a real concern," Carnevale said.
Carnevale also discussed the continuing cost of housing migrants here as well as a call from her predecessor as party chair for the ouster of the top-ranking Republican in the House.
Steve Kerrigan, the chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, joined WBZ-TV a week ago. You can watch that interview here.
You can view the interview in its entirety , and join us every Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. for more "Keller At Large" interviews with local politicians and policymakers.
