ACLU Files Suit After Tweet from Bristol County Sheriff’s Office

BOSTON — The ACLU of Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit after becoming aware of a tweet from the Bristol County Sheriff's Office.

The tweet was sent out from the Bristol County Sheriff's Office account on February 10 while representatives were attending a meeting of the National Sheriffs' Association. During the conference, members received a presentation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE Acting Deputy Director Matthew Albence provided members with an "immigration update."

After viewing the Bristol County Sheriff's Office's tweet, the ACLU filed a public records request seeking records of the address to include written remarks, slides, handouts, and recordings. The public records request also sought to obtain correspondences between ICE and Massachusetts sheriffs about the address.

In a press release, the ACLU of Massachusetts stated that obtaining the documents is "an important component of the ACLU's ongoing work to protect and defend immigrants, and to understand the relationship between ICE and local law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts."