Move over Arizona: Mass. Dems draft draconian anti-immigrant measure

Murray, who had shown little appetite for a headline-grabbing crackdown on illegal immigrants, wanted a new strategy. She set up a late-night meeting with three other senators, where — over strawberry cream pie, cranberry-lime seltzer, and M&Ms — the group, mindful of a new poll showing overwhelming public support for barring illegal immigrants from state services — drafted a stricter crackdown than even the most conservative advocates believed possible.

In the end, the Republicans, who make up just five of the Senate’s 40 members, got more than they wanted, just hours after the Senate appeared to have killed, or at least slowed down, their own plan to tighten immigration laws.

And with a 28-to-10 vote, the Senate came back Thursday and passed a sweeping measure that would toughen or expand rules that bar illegal immigrants from obtaining public health care, housing, and higher education benefits. It would set up hot lines for anonymous tips about illegal immigrants holding jobs and encourage the state attorney general to consult with the US Justice Department to enlist more state resources to halt illegal immigration.