Mass. SJC Rules Local Authorities Cannot Hold People On ICE Detainers

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously on Monday that local law enforcement cannot detain a person solely at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, writing in the opinion that: "Massachusetts law provides no authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a Federal civil immigration detainer."

The decision stems from the case of Sreynuon Lunn, a man arrested last October on a charge of armed robbery and detained for about four months awaiting trial. The charges against Lunn were eventually dismissed, but the state court ordered that Lunn remain in custody for two additional days at the request of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Shannon Dooling, WBUR reporter. She tweets @sdooling.

Nancy Gertner, former Massachusetts federal judge, senior lecturer on law at Harvard Law School and WBUR legal analyst. She tweets @ngertner.