Massachusetts Immigration Lawyer Help

Immigration Law in Massachusetts — what to do right now

Right now, do two things. First, find out exactly where the person is held and what they are charged with: the only Massachusetts jail with an ICE contract is Plymouth County Correctional Facility, and people are often first processed at ICE's Boston field office in Burlington (1000 District Ave.) — use the ICE online detainee locator with their full name and country of birth. Second, write down every court date and deadline before you do anything else, because the immigration court will not chase you. Then call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on what to do in the next 24 to 72 hours. The call is free, confidential, and gives you information — not legal advice — and creates no attorney-client relationship.

The law in Massachusetts: Immigration Law

Immigration is federal law, not Massachusetts state law. That single fact changes everything about where your case is decided. A removal (deportation) case is heard in a federal EOIR immigration court before an immigration judge employed by the U.S. Department of Justice — not in the Massachusetts Trial Court, the Superior Court, or any state courthouse. Massachusetts has two of these federal courts: the long-standing Boston Immigration Court at the JFK Federal Building (15 New Sudbury St., Room 320) and, since April 2024, a second court in Chelmsford — opened as the 'Lowell Immigration Court' and officially renamed the Chelmsford Immigration Court in July 2024 (150 Apollo Dr., Chelmsford). The benefits side — green cards, family petitions, citizenship, work permits — runs through USCIS, while ICE handles arrest, detention, and acts as the government's prosecutor in court.

The core removal process lives in INA § 240 (8 U.S.C. § 1229a): the government issues a charging document, you appear before the judge, you apply for whatever relief you qualify for, and there is a right to appeal. The relief itself comes from other statutes — asylum under INA § 208 (8 U.S.C. § 1158), cancellation of removal under INA § 240A (8 U.S.C. § 1229b) for long-residing people, adjustment of status to a green card under INA § 245 (8 U.S.C. § 1255), and protective visas for crime and trafficking victims under INA § 101(a)(15)(U) and (T). Massachusetts has an unusually dense nonprofit bar built around asylum and U/T-visa work, which means free or low-cost representation is genuinely reachable here if you move fast.

Where Massachusetts state law does bite is at the edges, and it cuts in your favor. In Lunn v. Commonwealth, 477 Mass. 517 (2017), the Supreme Judicial Court became the first state high court in the country to rule that local police and court officers have no authority under state law to hold someone solely on a civil ICE detainer once they would otherwise be released. That is why an arrest in Massachusetts does not automatically convert into ICE custody the way it might elsewhere. But there is no comprehensive statewide sanctuary statute — the Safe Communities Act has been refiled repeatedly on Beacon Hill but remains a bill, not law — so protections vary sharply from city to city.

Massachusetts also funds something most states do not: the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), a state-funded program launched at the end of 2025 and administered by the MIRA Coalition with CPCS and a statewide network of legal organizations. Backed by roughly $5 million in state money, it places about two dozen full-time immigration attorneys at partner nonprofits to represent low-income residents (generally at or below 125% of the federal poverty level, with no criminal charges) in removal proceedings, reached through a single central intake line. Its funding is debated at the State House each budget cycle, so availability shifts. Knowing whether you qualify — and how to apply before your next hearing — is exactly the kind of question to ask on a free call to 1-844-690-0555, which gives you legal information to act on, not legal advice and not representation.

Key Statutes (Federal)

INA § 208 / 8 U.S.C. § 1158 — Asylum, including the one-year filing deadline at § 208(a)(2)(B)
INA § 240 / 8 U.S.C. § 1229a — Removal (deportation) proceedings before an immigration judge
INA § 240A / 8 U.S.C. § 1229b — Cancellation of removal (10 yrs for non-LPRs; 7 yrs residence for green-card holders)
INA § 245 / 8 U.S.C. § 1255 — Adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident (green card)
INA § 101(a)(15)(U) & (T) — U visas (crime victims) and T visas (trafficking survivors)

Courts & Agencies

Boston Immigration Court (EOIR) — JFK Federal Building, 15 New Sudbury St., Room 320, Boston; (617) 565-3080
Chelmsford Immigration Court (EOIR) — 150 Apollo Dr., Chelmsford; opened April 2024 (as 'Lowell'), renamed July 2024; cases transfer here from Boston by ZIP code
Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Falls Church, VA — administrative appeals from the immigration judge
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (Boston) — petitions for review of final BIA orders
USCIS (Boston Field Office) for benefits; ICE / ERO Boston (Burlington) for enforcement and detention

Outcomes & Deadlines

Asylum: file Form I-589 within 1 year of your last U.S. arrival (INA § 208(a)(2)(B))
Appeal: Notice of Appeal (Form EOIR-26) must be RECEIVED by the BIA within 30 days of the judge's decision (no mailbox rule)
Motion to reopen: generally within 90 days of the final order (8 C.F.R. § 1003.2); generally only one allowed
Change of address: notify the court on Form EOIR-33 within 5 working days of any move
Removal can carry a 5-, 10-, or 20-year, or permanent, bar on returning (INA § 212(a)(9))

The Chelmsford Court Can Take Your Case Without You Realizing — and a Missed Hearing Means Deportation in Your Absence

Here is the trap almost nobody sees coming in Massachusetts. Since the Chelmsford court (opened in April 2024 as the Lowell Immigration Court) came online, EOIR has been moving cases off the overloaded Boston docket and onto Chelmsford's based on your ZIP code. You can be reassigned to a different courthouse, and the only notice may be a mailed form you have to read carefully. If you show up at the wrong building, or at no building because you never realized your hearing moved, an immigration judge can order you removed in absentia — deported without you ever telling your side. That is why the 5-working-day rule to update your address on Form EOIR-33, and checking your case on the EOIR system regularly (the automated line is 1-800-898-7180), are life-changing here, not paperwork. Before you assume your hearing is where you think it is, call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information.

Likely outcomes & penalties

Immigration consequences are civil outcomes, not criminal sentences, but they are often more permanent than a jail term. Here is what Massachusetts cases realistically produce.

Mandatory detention, often no bond

Certain criminal grounds trigger detention without bond under INA § 236(c). In Massachusetts that almost always means Plymouth County Correctional Facility, the only state jail under ICE contract (signed September 2024, running through 2029, ~250 contracted beds at $215/day, though it has held 400+ at a time) — even though reporting on 2025 ICE data found the large majority of its detainees classified by ICE as 'no threat.'

Removal plus a long bar on return

A final order of removal means physical deportation to your country of origin, usually paired with a bar on lawful return of 5, 10, or 20 years — or permanent — under INA § 212(a)(9), depending on your history. This is the core outcome the whole process is built to prevent.

Voluntary departure that can backfire

A judge may grant voluntary departure (commonly a 60- or 120-day window) instead of a removal order. Leave on time and you avoid the harsher removal bar; miss the deadline and it converts automatically into a removal order, a civil money penalty, and a 10-year bar on certain forms of relief.

Relief granted — asylum, cancellation, a visa

Outcomes are not all bad. Asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment to a green card, or a U/T visa can end the case with lawful status. Massachusetts nonprofits like the PAIR Project report a 95%+ asylum success rate for represented clients — representation changes the odds enormously.

Mistakes to avoid

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Assuming an arrest in Massachusetts automatically means ICE custody. Under Lunn v. Commonwealth, local officers cannot hold someone solely on a civil ICE detainer once they would otherwise be released — but people panic, waive rights, or sign documents they don't understand instead of getting information first.

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Not updating your address with the immigration court within 5 working days on Form EOIR-33. With cases silently shifting from Boston to Chelmsford by ZIP code, a missed hearing notice can produce an in absentia removal order before you even realize your court changed.

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Letting the asylum one-year deadline pass. Form I-589 generally must be filed within one year of your last U.S. arrival under INA § 208(a)(2)(B); missing it is the single most common reason strong asylum claims are lost, and the exceptions are narrow.

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Treating a motion to reopen as an automatic pause on deportation. The 90-day motion under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2 does not by itself stop removal — you usually must file a separate stay request, and generally only one motion is permitted.

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Pleading to a Massachusetts criminal charge without knowing its immigration fallout. A disposition that looks minor in state court can trigger mandatory detention or removal; the immigration consequence is separate from, and often harsher than, the state sentence.

How it works

Call 1-844-690-0555 — free, 24/7. Call any time, day or night, from anywhere in Massachusetts. There is no income test, no web form, and no charge. You can speak in your own language, including Spanish, and you do not have to give your immigration status to get help.

Talk to an AI legal assistant trained on Massachusetts + federal immigration law. Explain what's happening — a detention at Plymouth, a hearing notice, a deadline, a petition. You'll get clear legal information about how the Boston and Chelmsford immigration courts, USCIS, and the key deadlines apply to your situation. This is legal information, not legal advice, and it creates no attorney-client relationship.

Get matched with a Massachusetts immigration attorney if you want one. If your situation needs a lawyer, we can help you book a paid consultation with a Massachusetts-licensed immigration attorney. Booking is arranged through the call — there's no instant online checkout — and the consultation is a separate paid step you choose, not something charged automatically.

Free & low-cost Immigration Law help in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has one of the densest networks of free and low-cost immigration help in the country — including nonprofits with negotiated access inside ICE detention. These organizations are real and independent; Legal Hotline is not one of them and is not a law firm. Start here, and call 1-844-690-0555 if you need help figuring out which one fits.

PAIR Project (Political Asylum / Immigration Representation Project)

Free representation for asylum-seekers and detained immigrants, and the only Massachusetts nonprofit with negotiated legal-orientation access at the ICE detention sites holding Massachusetts cases — including Plymouth. Serves 700+ detention clients a year and reports a 95%+ asylum success rate. Often the first call to make if someone is detained.

MIRA Coalition (Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition)

Administers the state's Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), which funds immigration attorneys for low-income residents in removal proceedings, plus citizenship and application clinics. Based at 105 Chauncy St., Suite 901, Boston; (617) 350-5480.

Greater Boston Legal Services — Immigration Unit

Free representation for low-income immigrants in the Greater Boston area, including asylum, family-based petitions, and victim visas. 197 Friend Street, Boston, MA 02114; (617) 371-1234 or (800) 323-3205.

Center for New Americans (Western MA)

Immigration legal services for the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts — Springfield, Northampton, and the surrounding counties where immigration help is otherwise sparse.

Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN)

Community bond fund, court accompaniment, and detention support — practical help for getting someone out of ICE custody at Plymouth and standing with them at hearings.

MassLegalHelp — Immigration

Free, plain-language guidance on deportation, immigration court, change of address, and your rights, run by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. Never charges. A good place to read up before and after your call.

Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder (MassLRF)

Official statewide intake tool: enter your town, income, and problem type and it matches you to legal-aid offices and referral services. A good single starting point if you're not sure which organization to call.

FAQ — Immigration Law in Massachusetts

My husband was just detained by ICE in Massachusetts — where is he and what do I do first?

In Massachusetts, ICE detainees are typically processed through the Boston field office in Burlington and then held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility, the only state jail with an ICE contract. Use ICE's online detainee locator with his full name and country of birth to confirm where he is. Then write down any charges and court dates immediately. For free legal information on bond, his rights, and the next 72 hours, call 1-844-690-0555.

Is my immigration hearing in Boston or Chelmsford?

It could be either. Since the Chelmsford court (opened April 2024 as the Lowell Immigration Court) came online, EOIR transfers cases off the Boston docket by ZIP code, and the notice may be a mailed form that's easy to miss. Always check your case on the EOIR system or the automated line (1-800-898-7180) and confirm before your date — showing up at the wrong courthouse can lead to an in absentia removal order. If you're unsure where your case stands, call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information.

Can the police in Massachusetts hold someone just for ICE?

Generally no. In Lunn v. Commonwealth (2017), the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Massachusetts officers have no authority under state law to detain someone solely on a civil ICE detainer once they would otherwise be released. That protection is real, but it varies by city and doesn't apply once ICE itself takes custody. To understand how it affects your specific situation, call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information — not legal advice.

I think I've missed the asylum one-year deadline. Is it hopeless?

Not necessarily. Asylum generally requires filing Form I-589 within one year of your last U.S. arrival under INA § 208(a)(2)(B), but there are exceptions for changed circumstances (like new conditions in your country) or extraordinary circumstances (like serious illness). These exceptions are narrow and fact-specific. Don't assume you're out of options — call 1-844-690-0555 to get free legal information about whether an exception might apply.

Does Massachusetts pay for a lawyer if I can't afford one in immigration court?

There is no public defender for immigration cases — it's civil, not criminal. But Massachusetts funds the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (administered by MIRA, launched in late 2025) that pays for immigration attorneys for low-income residents, generally at or below 125% of the federal poverty level with no criminal charges. Funding is set each budget year and slots are limited. To learn whether you might qualify and how to apply before your hearing, call 1-844-690-0555.

How long do I have to appeal an immigration judge's decision in Massachusetts?

Your Notice of Appeal (Form EOIR-26) must actually be received by the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia within 30 days of the judge's decision — there is no mailbox rule, so postmarking it isn't enough. You generally cannot be deported during that window or while the appeal is pending. The deadline is strict and the Board can't extend it, so don't wait. Call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on your appeal options.

How do I get someone out of ICE detention at Plymouth on bond?

Some detainees can request a bond hearing before an immigration judge, but those held under the mandatory-detention rules of INA § 236(c) for certain criminal grounds may not be eligible. Community bond funds like BIJAN can sometimes help with the money once bond is set. Eligibility turns on the specific charges and history. Call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on whether a bond hearing is possible.

Will pleading guilty to a charge in Massachusetts state court get me deported?

It can. A criminal disposition that seems minor in the Massachusetts Trial Court can trigger mandatory immigration detention or removal — and the immigration consequence is completely separate from your state sentence. Never resolve a criminal case without understanding the immigration fallout first. Before you plead, call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information about how a charge could affect your status.

I moved within Massachusetts. Do I need to tell the immigration court?

Yes — and fast. You generally must file Form EOIR-33 with the immigration court within five working days of moving. If you don't and a hearing notice goes to your old address, you can be ordered removed in absentia for not appearing. With cases shifting between Boston and Chelmsford, this is especially high-stakes here. Call 1-844-690-0555 for free legal information on keeping your case on track.

Is Legal Hotline a law firm, and is this call really free?

No, Legal Hotline is not a law firm and not a public defender, and the call gives you legal information, not legal advice — it creates no attorney-client relationship. The call to 1-844-690-0555 is genuinely free, 24/7, with no income test and no web form. If you decide you want a lawyer, we can help you book a paid consultation with a Massachusetts-licensed immigration attorney as a separate step you choose.

Are you a Massachusetts immigration attorney? Join our referral network.

We connect frightened, motivated clients across Greater Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Greater Lawrence, New Bedford, Fall River, Quincy, and Brockton with licensed Massachusetts immigration attorneys for paid consultations — asylum, removal defense, bond at Plymouth, family petitions, naturalization, and U/T visas. If you're admitted to practice and take federal immigration matters, we'd like to send qualified, pre-informed callers your way. Reach out to ask about joining the network.

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Reviewed by the Legal Hotline Editorial Team.

General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.

Detained by ICE or Facing Deportation in Massachusetts? Get Answers Before the Clock Runs Out.