Why it matters: With federal immigration enforcement intensifying across the state, Massachusetts lawmakers moved to establish some of the broadest immigrant protections in the country, drawing praise from advocates and swift pushback from critics who argue the legislation puts the state on a collision course with federal law.

The details: The Massachusetts Senate passed the PROTECT Act on May 7, approving the bill on a 37-3 roll call vote. The legislation now heads back to the House for further consideration before it can reach Governor Maura Healey’s desk.

• The bill holds federal immigration agents legally accountable for civil rights violations and bars local and state police from participating in civil federal immigration enforcement. 
• It prohibits immigration arrests at courthouses, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and childcare facilities. 
• The legislation also blocks the unauthorized deployment of other states’ National Guards into Massachusetts and allows parents facing detention or deportation to pre-arrange guardianship for their children. 
• Senators filed 76 amendments during the session, most of which were withdrawn or rejected over eight hours of debate.

The challenges ahead: The Senate’s version of the bill goes further than the House version passed in March, meaning the two chambers will need to reconcile their differences before anything reaches the governor. Legal challenges from the federal government are also widely anticipated, with critics arguing the state cannot legally bar local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Those tensions could slow or complicate the bill’s implementation even if it is signed into law.

The bottom line: Advocates called the bill a major victory, but its path forward depends on whether House and Senate negotiators can bridge the gap between their competing versions, and whether the final product can withstand what is expected to be an aggressive federal legal response.