Massachusetts lawmaker urges for an ‘orderly’ immigration process to combat fear
By Laina Gustafson
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) called to control the screening process of immigration at the US-Mexico border at a forum in Boston this week.
Lynch’s comments came on the same day that president-elect Donald Trump stated his plan to declare a national emergency on the border crisis, and “utilize U.S. military assets to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.”
Lynch has served in Congress since 2001, and is a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. He was originally an ironworker and union president, and has been a vocal advocate for “American jobs.”
In his remarks at the Boston Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Lynch said that the influx of undocumented immigrants needs to be stemmed because it’s “scaring the bejeezus out of people in Arizona, New Mexico, and California.”
“We’ve got to know who’s coming into our country,” Lynch said.
Lynch expressed fears that current approachs fail to fully educate immigrants on American ideals and expectations. He criticized organizations that aim to help undocumented individuals, while acknowledging that these organizations are working “from the deepest and best part of their hearts.”
“But the first thing they’re teaching them is how to get benefits they might not be legally entitled to, or how to avoid the law,” Lynch said. “So, are we teaching them the wrong things?”
Lynch’s comments join a growing conversation about the future of undocumented individuals under a second Trump presidency. In his first term, Trump began construction of a border wall and pushed sweeping restrictions on asylum seekers—many of which were blocked by District Courts in California and other border states.
Immigration and border control were a deciding factor in Trump’s 2024 election bid, with 55% of U.S. adults reporting “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” as a top national threat in a recent Gallup poll.
Despite national uncertainty, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy and Attorney Gen. Andrea Campbell have vocally maintained their commitment to protecting everyone in the state, including its estimated 350,000 undocumented immigrants.