Massachusetts House of Representatives passes the PROTECT Act, requiring employers to notify employees of I-9 audits within 48 hours of DHS notification

On March 25, 2026, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed the PROTECT Act. According to a House press release, The PROTECT Act "establishes statewide standards governing interactions between state and local systems and federal immigration enforcement. It strengthens due process protections, limits civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, expands protections for victims of crime, and increases transparency, accountability, and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement. The PROTECT Act was originally filed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (BLLC), with the goal of offering feasible policy options to address growing immigration concerns in Massachusetts.” 

Among other policies, the PROTECT Act would require employers to notify its workers of an I-9 audit within 48 hours of the employer receiving the audit notification from the federal government. This part of the legislation was originally introduced as a singular bill last year; see our previous post on the legislation here. 

The Massachusetts Senate has not yet picked up the bill for consideration as of April 1, 2026. We will continue to provide updates on the legislation as we receive them. 

Read the bill here and the House of Representatives’ press release here.