LAWRENCE, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton told a Merrimack Valley audience this week that if he is elected to the U.S. Senate, he will move to abolish and prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement, restore Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and other nationals, and guarantee health care to everyone in the country regardless of immigration status.
Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who represents Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, spoke with Caribbean Television Network at “The People’s Agenda Regional Town Hall,” an initiative of the Merrimack Valley Project. He is challenging Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary — a contest that will be decided September 1, weeks before the general election.
Moulton has built the race around the argument that the Democratic Party needs a new generation of leadership.
He opened his remarks by framing immigration as a test of national values.
“We need to treat our immigrant communities with dignity, respect, and honor everything they bring to our country,” Moulton said. “This has always been a country of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty stands for our American values, which are immigrant values. And this administration has completely corrupted those values, corrupted our immigration system, and targeted some of the people who are making America great.”
Moulton did not soften his position on immigration enforcement. He called not only for dismantling ICE but for holding the agency legally accountable.
“We need to abolish and prosecute ICE,” he said. “They need to be held accountable for breaking the law.”
The congressman tied that stance directly to the crisis facing Haitian families in Massachusetts, whose protections ended when the current administration terminated Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status. Moulton said restoring TPS is a priority precisely because conditions in Haiti make return unsafe — and he pointed to a contradiction in the government’s own posture.
“We need to restore the protections of TPS. It’s there to protect people who cannot go back to the countries they’re from because they’re unsafe,” Moulton said. “The State Department can’t tell me I can’t travel to Haiti and yet send Haitian Americans to Haiti.”
The U.S. State Department currently advises Americans not to travel to Haiti, citing kidnapping, violent crime, and civil unrest — the same conditions immigrant advocates say make deportations to the country dangerous.
Beyond ICE and TPS, Moulton laid out what he described as a three-point framework for immigration reform: prosecuting ICE for what he characterized as unlawful conduct, creating incentives that favor legal immigration pathways, and establishing a route to citizenship for immigrants already living in and contributing to their communities.
“Third, having a pathway to citizenship for people who are here, who are parts of our communities and want to become full U.S. citizens,” he said.
Pressed on what he could realistically do for anxious immigrant families, with Emmanuel Paul noting the fear spreading through the Haitian community as residents brace for ICE to appear at their doors, Moulton pointed to his military background and his congressional office’s record.
“First of all, you need to send fighters to Washington, and I am a U.S. Marine veteran. I am not afraid of these Republicans. I will fight and win against them,” he said. He added that his congressional office has been recognized nationally for constituent services and is known as a resource for immigrant issues. “I will bring that level of service to the immigrant community of Massachusetts, to the entire state.”
Health Care Without Exceptions
For CTN’s audience, one of Moulton’s most consequential pledges concerned health care. Many Haitians lost coverage when their work authorization lapsed alongside the end of TPS, leaving families unable to seek hospital care. Asked whether he would support health care for everyone, including undocumented immigrants, Moulton was unequivocal.
“Under my plan, everyone gets health care regardless of immigration status. No exceptions,” he said.
The Case Against the Incumbent
Moulton’s central argument against Markey is generational. The senator is 80 and has served in Congress for roughly half a century; Moulton is 47. When asked why voters should send him to Washington, the congressman drew a sharp contrast.
“If you’re happy with the status quo, then vote for a senator who’s 80 years old and has been there for 50 years,” Moulton said. “If you think we can do better, if you think we need new leadership in Washington, if you believe we need to stop MAGA Republicans and the Trump administration, then send a progressive fighter to the United States Senate.”
Asked whether age was his only critique of Markey, Moulton said the deeper problem was inaction. “Nothing is getting done,” he said. “If you’re happy with the status quo, then vote for the old guy. If you want new leadership, if you think we can do better, then vote for me.”
Showing Up
With the primary approaching, Moulton was asked whether he planned to campaign in the Haitian community and other communities where he is less established. He said in-person presence is central to his campaign, and used the question to draw another contrast with the incumbent.
“I think it’s really important to show up, and that’s why I’m here. The senator is not,” Moulton said. “This is the second forum we’ve had in a week that the senator didn’t show up to, but I’m going to show up, because you need to do that as a United States senator.”
He directed supporters to his campaign website, sethmoulton.com, and urged voters to join what he described as a movement for change in Massachusetts and Washington.
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CTN is covering candidates across this Senate race who address issues affecting the Haitian and Caribbean diaspora. Coverage of a candidate is not an endorsement. CTN has invited and will continue to invite all candidates in this race, including Sen. Markey, to speak with our audience.
