By Bob Katzen

“We cannot allow the United States government to indefinitely disappear human beings. If we cannot locate our clients, we cannot pursue the relief for which they are legally eligible. The law gives our clients the right to seek protection. This policy obstructs that right when our clients need it most.”

—Jackie Kelley, director of immigration legal services at the Rian Immigrant Center, one of a group of legal services organizations that filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s new policy of hiding the locations of thousands of people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“The law is clear: Every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot without intimidation, and no one has the right to corrupt the election process through fraud or interference. Our office will not tolerate either. Anyone who attempts to undermine a federal election through criminal conduct should understand that we are prepared to investigate, enforce the law and pursue accountability. The integrity of our elections is not negotiable.”
—United States Attorney Leah Foley.

“Massachusetts Hazmat technicians are our first line of defense against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards. Making this powerful tool available to so many techs is going to help protect them and our residents from hazards that are unseen but deadly serious.”
—Public Safety Security Secretary Gina Kwon, announcing that 200 State Hazmat technicians are being outfitted with personal radiation detectors through a federal grant program, providing advance warning for personnel who might be entering a hazardous environment and alerting them to radioactive threats.

“Veterans have given so much in service to our state and our country, and we want to make sure they receive every dollar they are owed. By bringing our divisions together, we are doing even more to help them recover funds they may not know they are owed.”
—State Treasurer Deb Goldberg on the Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Division and the Massachusetts Veterans Bonus Division partnering to help veterans recover unclaimed property and funds owed to them. The collaborative effort began in August and has already resulted in 93 claims with an estimated value of over $45,000.