Tipsheet

Massachusetts Democrat Wants to Tap Millionaire’s Tax to Fund Legal Defense of Illegal Immigrants

Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen  |  April 02, 2026 7:00 PM

When Massachusetts voters passed the so-called millionaire’s tax in 2022, it was meant to fund transportation and education. 

Now, a Massachusetts Senate Democrat plans to use $1 million of revenue from that four percent tax on annual income over $1 million to fund legal costs of illegal immigrants facing deportation, according to a local news report.

WBUR reported Senate President Karen Spilka saying: “We need to ensure that the funding is there, because unfortunately, the Trump administration is continuing to increase the number of people that they are — I hate to use the term kidnapping at times — but suddenly appearing and grabbing people.”

Lawmakers gave $5 million to the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative in fiscal year 2026, WBUR reported. That money reportedly paid the salaries of 24 full-time immigration attorneys who have represented hundreds of people. Now, lawmakers want to spend even more money defending people who probably broke federal law. The group that defends illegal immigrants seeks $15 million in the next state budget, according to a report from MassDailyNews.

That revenue could be spent elsewhere, like the ideas originally pitched to voters in 2022. The city of Boston faces a $48 million budget deficit. Boston Public Schools faces a projected $53 million deficit. 

The millionaire's tax has raised about $6 billion so far, according to the state government.