Dusty Christensen

Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State - Bolts As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.

As we reported in @boltsmag.org last month, Massachusetts is the *only* state with a Democratic governor + legislature that maintains a state-level 287(g) agreement with ICE. As part of this agreement, Massachusetts often funnels people exiting prison into deportation.

boltsmag.org/massachusett...

The Massachusetts Department of Correction has been fighting me for months, trying to withhold data about its collaboration with ICE.

Yesterday, I won that fight, and obtained records showing that the state has transferred more than 2,000 people into ICE custody since 2009.

A quick thread:

Northwestern DA to prosecute Worcester ICE protesters After pledging to prosecute illegal ICE activity in his district, David Sullivan is moving forward with assault charges brought by Worcester police against two civilian rapid responders.

Northwestern DA David Sullivan promised to prosecute hypothetical criminal activity by ICE in his district. But among his office's current caseload are assault charges against two Worcester rapid responders to an ICE raid in that city. By @billshaner.bsky.social: theshoestring.org/2026/02/03/n...

Hampden County DA’s offices conducts the most wiretapping in the state, analysis finds The practice of listening into someone’s phone calls without their knowledge is “probably the most invasive form of government surveillance,” said Kade Crockford, the director of the Technology for Li...

Thanks to The Springfield Republican and my favorite reporting partner Greta Jochem for tackling this story with us at @theshoestring.bsky.social. Here's their version of the story:

Hampden DA wiretaps suspects far more than other prosecutors, records show Disclosures show that from 2021 to 2024, Anthony Gulluni’s office submitted 83 wiretap applications to judges. That's almost as much as every other DA and the attorney general combined.

From 2021-2024, the Hampden DA's Office submitted 83 wiretap applications to judges—almost as much as every other DA in the state and the AG combined. For @theshoestring.bsky.social and The Republican, Greta Jochem and I investigated why Hampden County prosecutors wiretap the most in Massachusetts.

My latest on the Westfield Police Department's relationship with city landlords:

“Increase your profit”: Westfield police-landlord meeting draws criticism from tenants The meetings have been ongoing for years, but a recent Facebook post about them has prompted some to question the cozy relationship between police and landlords.

When Westfield police posted on Facebook on Dec. 22, the comment section filled with outrage. WPD had advertised an upcoming “landlord meeting” they're hosting, promising attendees “knowledge that will only help you increase your profit and keep problem tenants away." @dustyc123.bsky.social reports:

Records from the Federal Procurement Data System reveal that ICE has increased spending on “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing” by more than 600% compared to 2024 levels.

popular.info/p/ice-boosts...

My latest on @andrewqmr.bsky.social's push for transparency when it comes to police misconduct disclosures:

AI Hallucination? Proposed Westfield data center appears abandoned by developers The Shoestring's investigation uncovered signs the project's developers may have abandoned it, even after local officials spent years arranging for significant tax breaks.

AI hallucination? The Shoestring’s investigation into the status of the proposed hyperscale data center in Westfield uncovered signs the project’s developers have abandoned it, even after officials spent years arranging for tax breaks. By @jongerhardson.bsky.social theshoestring.org/2025/12/30/a...

WMass election analysis Today on The Rundown, panelists breakdown Tuesday’s elections throughout western Massachusetts, which largely favored incumbents in contested races.

LISTEN: Last Friday, our editor-in-chief @mszafranski.bsky.social joined Paul Tuthill and @dustyc123.bsky.social for the Rundown with Carrie Saldo on @nepublicmedia.bsky.social for some local post-election analysis. #mapoli www.nepm.org/therundown/2...

Springfield’s “zombie plant” is reanimated once again A proposal for a wood-burning power plant may now move forward despite over a decade of community opposition, thanks to what activists are calling a “Frankenpermit”

Springfield residents are once again facing the revival of a proposed wood-burning "zombie plant" that has been stalled for over a decade by community opposition. Irina Costache and Regine Spector report: theshoestring.org/2025/10/22/s...

Facebook boost sparks torrent of hate towards West Springfield mosque The social media giant promoted Open Mosque Day to bigoted site users as local experts warn Islamophobia is on the rise in Massachusetts.

Earlier this year, the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts decided to “open up” its communications to the broader community by launching a Facebook page. A post intended to promote "open mosque day," accumulated a sudden spark of harmful and threatening comments.

By Joe Douglass.

Springfield’s “zombie plant” is reanimated once again A proposal for a wood-burning power plant may now move forward despite over a decade of community opposition, thanks to what activists are calling a “Frankenpermit”

New illustration in @theshoestring.bsky.social
theshoestring.org/2025/10/22/s...

“There’s a lot of money in death”: Funeral home consolidation hits western Mass One private equity-backed firm recently bought more than 10% of funeral homes in western Mass, where corporate consolidators now own a quarter of mortuaries — part of a nationwide trend in the death c...

One private equity-backed firm recently bought more than 10% of funeral homes in western Mass, where corporate consolidators now own a quarter of mortuaries — part of a nationwide trend in the death care industry. Reporter @jongerhardson.bsky.social investigates: theshoestring.org/2025/10/28/t...

'Robin Hood' or 'legalized theft'? Why it’s easy for Massachusetts police to seize property For police and prosecutors, civil asset forfeiture is a tool they say helps them thwart criminal enterprises. Others, however, say the practice amounts to “little more than legalized theft.” Reporters...

Read the entire series here:

We won an award!🥳🗞️🎙️Last week, @nenpa.bsky.social honored Greta Jochem and me with their top yearly honor, a Publick Occurrences award, for our reporting with @nepublicmedia.bsky.social and The Springfield Republican on how easy it is for Massachusetts police to seize, and keep, people's property.

Cooley Dickinson nurses to hold strike authorization vote Nurses at the Northampton hospital say they're facing “unsafe staffing conditions, uncompetitive wages, and potential hikes to health insurance costs.”

Unionized nurses at Northampton's Cooley Dickinson Hospital say they will hold a strike authorization vote next month — the first step toward possibly walking off the job.

Our latest from the labor beat, by @dustyc123.bsky.social:

In July 2023, Sullivan’s office retained the Boston-based private law firm Butters Brazilian to defend it against the lawsuit. The district attorney’s office agreed to pay $350 an hour each for two lawyers and $75 an hour for the work of clerks and paralegals, according to an agreement obtained by making a public records request. Butters Brazilian has billed taxpayers $13,454.17 for work related to the case as of July 31, according to invoices released by Sullivan’s office. Those records do not include the charges for the final draft of the district attorney’s motion for summary judgment.

David Sullivan has spent more than $13,000 and counting of taxpayer money on a private law firm to fight against police transparency in #Massachusetts after I sued him over his refusal to release the names of police officers who were charged with crimes.

#mapoli

I'm thinking of 9-year-old Aliah Reyes as the AQI near where she lives is over 150 today.

We need climate action to reduce the risk of wildfires & associated smoke, and action to filter indoor air.

Read this by @dustyc123.bsky.social to learn about the health impacts of air pollution
#WesternMa

"try to keep her inside, but even then it’s hard — I run 2 dehumidifiers and 3 air purifiers just to keep the air somewhat clean” Rivera said. “It makes me anxious because any bad air day can send us to the ER. It impacts our whole family. We feel trapped inside, constantly worried about her health”

“Struggling to breathe”: Wildfire smoke becoming a regular danger in western Mass From thousands of miles away, air pollution is traveling to New England and hitting already-polluted areas hardest.

From many miles away, wildfire smoke is traveling to New England and hitting already-polluted areas hardest. "Watching your child struggle to breathe is terrifying," one parent of a child with asthma said. Our latest on the continuing local impacts of climate change from @dustyc123.bsky.social:

Doxing, death threats, deportation: How the far right stifled campus activism and sent ICE after a local student Last month, a judge said the militant group Betar

Last month, a judge said the militant group Betar “triggered” the ICE arrest of a Hampshire College student. Palestine-solidarity activists at UMass say similar groups have come after them, too. Our latest from Dan McGlynn and @jongerhardson.bsky.social. Original art by illustrator Melissa Mendes.

Some @theshoestring.bsky.social-related news: @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social and Donovan Lee are fighting for greater transparency in our region!

Globe sues 5 Mass. police departments in effort to shine light on shadowy world of confidential informants - The Boston Globe The newspaper sought information from each of Massachusetts' 400-plus police departments about how they handle confidential informants.

These are the police departments the lawsuits were lodged against:

• Boston
• Worcester
• Springfield
• New Bedford
• Massachusetts State Police

The Globe’s suit against the Boston Police Department is the broadest.

How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws Starting with cases involving sexual orientation and identity, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is hobbling enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Said one HUD attorney: “People are…

“No one is watching, no one will hold them accountable, so they can just do what they want,” said one HUD attorney. “The civil rights laws that people marched for and fought for, ... it’s not happening. And people are really being harmed by it.”

By @jessecoburn.bsky.social

Police, DA made millions from a cannabis bust. Here’s how they’re spending it. Police seized over 30 luxury cars from an alleged drug trafficker in New Salem. After auctioning many of the cars, they’ve been busy spending the more than $2 million in proceeds.

After seizing 30+ luxury cars from an alleged cannabis trafficker in 2020, the Northwestern DA auctioned many of them. Since then, police & prosecutors have been busy spending the $2 million in proceeds. Our latest from @dustyc123.bsky.social on the controversial process of “civil asset forfeiture”:

Police, DA made millions from a cannabis bust. Here’s how they’re spending it. Police seized over 30 luxury cars from an alleged drug trafficker in New Salem. After auctioning many of the cars, they’ve been busy spending the more than $2 million in proceeds.

It was a case police billed as one of the region’s biggest-ever drug bust. After seizing 30+ luxury cars from an alleged cannabis trafficker, the DA’s office auctioned many of them in 2022. Since then, police and prosecutors have been busy spending more than $2 million in proceeds. My latest:

“They took my life away for nothing.” James Carver spent 36 years in prison for allegedly setting one of the deadliest fires in Massachusetts history.

My latest for @theappeal.org:

James Carver spent 36 years in prison after he was convicted of setting one of the deadliest fires in #Massachusetts history. But after reviewing new scientific evidence, a judge set him free.

“They took my life away for nothing,” Carver said.

Photos: International Workers’ Day rally in Springfield draws hundreds On May Day, teachers staged “walk-ins,

On May Day, teachers staged “walk-ins,” nurses picketed in front of Baystate Medical Center, peace activists protested, and hundreds took to the streets of Springfield.

Reporting by @dustyc123.bsky.social and photos by @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social