Healey: Suit against feds over DACA will protect Mass. residents, economy

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By Colin A. Young, State House News Service

After announcing her latest lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration, Attorney General Maura Healey today defended the use of her office's resources on federal issues to protect the state's residents and state's economy.

"Certainly, these lawsuits are not filed lightly ... every one of these lawsuits has been about protecting Massachusetts interests, protecting Massachusetts businesses, protecting Massachusetts residents," Healey said during a conference call she held to discuss the latest lawsuit with reporters.

Healey has sued the Trump administration numerous times on various issues, including environmental regulations for heavy trucks, accreditation of for-profit colleges, and to prevent the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from being dismantled.

Before Trump took office, Healey emailed political supporters, saying she "won't hesitate to take Donald Trump to court if he carries out his unconstitutional campaign promises." Asked what resources her state office is dedicating to these lawsuits against the president, Healey did not directly answer, but defended the work her office does in Massachusetts.

"Our office continues to work on a variety of issues and I'm pleased with the work that we've been able to do on behalf of the consumers, in this year alone obtaining record recoveries for consumers on any number of fronts," she said. 

On Wednesday, Healey joined 13 other states and the District of Columbia in filing a federal lawsuit  that seeks to prevent the Trump administration from winding down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which the White House announced Tuesday would end in six months and which currently covers about 800,000 people nationwide.

"Today's filing against the Trump administration and the decision to rescind DACA is another example" of how the suits against Trump are intended to protect Massachusetts residents, Healey said. "We are talking about thousands of people here in Massachusetts who are adversely affected by this decision, who are contributing to our economy, serving in our military, paying taxes, working, and attending school."