The Charles River Regional Chamber sent a letter about anticipated immigration enforcement efforts in the Boston area, and included guidance for businesses and information about immigration policies. See the letter written by Chamber President & CEO Greg Reibman, below.
To our members:
Our chamber firmly believes in abiding by all federal, state and local laws. However, those laws include individual protections, rights and due process that we believe must also be followed.
This afternoon, I’m writing to share with you timely information related to immigration provided to us by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, as well as the office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell, that may be important to you, your employees and others in your circle.
As you are likely aware, an ICE surge is happening in Maine. It is reasonable to expect a similar surge could come to Massachusetts in the coming weeks.
And as we’ve seen from videos from the Twin Cities, these actions are not limited to urban areas. They are actively happening in the suburbs as well.
In addition, in less than two weeks, 45,000 Haitians in Massachusetts will likely lose Temporary Protected Status. These lawful immigrants have the right to know whether ICE is viewing their private I-9 information, finding out where they work and live. They have the right to three days’ notice to prepare for a possible detention and deportation.
While Haiti Temporary Protected Status is scheduled to expire on Feb. 3, 2026, this does not mean that all Haitians in Massachusetts will lose status. Many Haitians have other forms of valid immigration status. Also, an imminent court ruling on Haiti TPS may change the expiration date of the program.
• Employers who receive an I-9 inspection notice should consider contacting an immigration attorney as soon as possible and post the attached notice in a visible area of your workplace. Here is information created by MIRA to share with Haitian immigrants (in English and Haitian Creole)
• Here is new TPS and I-9 guidance from the offices of the Attorney General and Governor. Here is information about ICE in the workplace.
• Watch our most recent immigration webinar detailing what employers need to know about our nation’s rapidly changing immigration policies.
• The Charles River Chamber has endorsed legislation related to I-9 inspections. Here is more information on Senate Bill 2665
Finally, please consider adding your company’s name to the Massachusetts Businesses Pledge to Protect Our Immigrant Communities
I welcome your feedback and perspectives. I will also help direct any questions you may have.
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO, Charles River Regional Chamber