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The Lead

ICE has detained at least 31 people in and around New Bedford since Monday, and the fear rippling through southeastern Massachusetts right now is the story of the week, whether or not it dominates the political conversation in Boston.

Immigration attorneys describe a scene that looks less like targeted enforcement and more like a dragnet: a father picked up while his 8-year-old waited for him at school pickup, a parent with a one-month-old at home, workers heading into New Bedford's fish processing plants. Attorney Ondine Sniffin says agents don't appear to have specific names or targets — they're pulling over work vans and questioning people based on appearance. The surge started in New Bedford and Dartmouth Monday, moved to Fall River by Tuesday, and shows no sign of slowing. Attorney Todd Pomerleau, who's been tracking these patterns for a year, says the "level of cruelty and callous behavior" has escalated sharply.

This isn't happening in a vacuum. It comes as Democratic lawmakers in Washington are separately demanding answers about the fatal ICE shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, two months ago — a case where Senator Richard Blumenthal says federal investigators have shown zero urgency. Together, these stories point to a pattern: aggressive, loosely targeted enforcement paired with minimal transparency or accountability when things go wrong. Watch for local officials in New Bedford, Fall River, and Dartmouth to face pressure to respond, and expect immigration advocacy groups to push for state-level protections in the coming weeks. Kids are already missing school. That's the human cost showing up in real time.

Full story at Boston.com →

What Else You Should Know

Methuen's disgraced ex-chief could lose his $184K pension today. The Methuen Retirement Board votes this morning on whether to strip former Police Chief Joseph Solomon of his pension after he pleaded guilty last week to 17 public corruption charges, including rigging hiring to favor unqualified, hand-picked officers. Mayor D.J. Beauregard says a vote to terminate could save the city $3.7 million over 20 years — and he's vowing to claw back the more than $1 million Solomon has already collected since 2021. Boston Globe →

Healey files $2.24 billion budget bill to brace for federal health care cuts. Governor Maura Healey wants to create a new Health Care Stabilization Fund to backstop MassHealth and the Health Safety Net as residents lose coverage under the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The plan would divert surplus capital gains revenue that otherwise flows to the rainy day fund — a sign of just how much fiscal pressure is coming from Washington. Boston Globe →

The tenant right-to-purchase bill is close, but not there yet. The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, which would let renters organize to match an outside buyer's offer when their building goes up for sale, is sitting with a six-member conference committee reconciling House and Senate versions. State Senator Lydia Edwards says it's urgently needed as Massachusetts loses "naturally occurring affordable housing" to gentrification faster than it can build new units. Boston.com →

Amazon wants to fly delivery drones over MetroWest. The company is eyeing its Westborough distribution center as a launch site for 80-pound, 74-mph delivery drones covering a 7.5-mile radius into Shrewsbury, Northborough, Grafton, Worcester, Sutton, and Southborough — the first program of its kind in New England. Amazon still needs Westborough's planning board to sign off, and residents are already raising noise, privacy, and safety concerns. WBUR →

Boston's council president wants your worst landlord stories. City Council President Liz Breadon has launched a "Worst Landlords in Boston" survey to name and shame bad actors, part of a broader push to make property owners more accountable. Breadon, who represents Allston-Brighton where 80% of residents rent, previously helped raise the maximum fine for code violations from $300 to $2,000. WBUR →

The next big Quabbin fight is brewing. The MWRA wants approval to pull an additional 20 million gallons a day from the Quabbin Reservoir — by far the largest such request since the agency was formed in 1984 — to serve new communities east of the reservoir. It's reigniting tension with the rural, cash-strapped towns around the Quabbin that already feel shortchanged by the deal that keeps their watershed land undeveloped. CommonWealth Beacon →

Worth Your Attention

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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Marcus Coward (Democratic) — City Councilor, New Bedford — Filed: 9/21/2026

PACs

• Recall Mayor Brian Depena Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 9/24/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Policy — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/23/2026

OCPF →

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