Deaton pitches legal status for long-term residents in Massachusetts Senate race

Massachusetts voters will decide the state's Senate seat on Tuesday, November 3, in a contest between incumbent Democrat Ed Markey and Republican challenger John Deaton. Deaton, a former Marine and attorney, has centered his campaign on specific immigration reforms and cost-of-living measures aimed at working families and Latino communities.

Deaton, who lost to Elizabeth Warren in 2024 with approximately 40% of the vote, describes himself as an independent who will vote with either party depending on the issue. He stated in an interview that he has never voted for Donald Trump. Markey argues that Deaton's candidacy helps maintain a Republican majority in the Senate regardless of how he votes.

The candidate rejected both open borders and mass deportations. He proposes objective criteria to grant temporary legal status to individuals who have lived in the United States for more than 10 years, are working or studying, and have no criminal record. This status would include a three-year probationary period before transitioning to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. Deaton suggested a fee ranging from $500 to $5,000, though the exact amount is still undecided.

His campaign supports a path to citizenship for qualifying DACA recipients and seeks to resolve the backlog for family petitions that can take up to 10 years to process. Deaton cited the 1986 immigration law under President Ronald Reagan, which legalized 2.7 million people, as a precedent. He also addressed individuals who lost status after holding H-1B, H-2B, or Temporary Protected Status visas, noting that Haiti's TPS ended in August following a Supreme Court ruling while El Salvador's remains active pending a government announcement.

Deaton opposes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling the move a slogan rather than policy. He proposes limiting ICE to a Secure Communities model where agents remove undocumented individuals arrested for serious crimes in local jails. He argued that agents should not conduct arrests at places of worship, restaurants, or retail stores like Walmart and Home Depot. Deaton noted that some Latino citizens in Lawrence avoid eating out due to fear of being harassed by ICE agents.

On housing, Deaton stated that a starter home in Massachusetts costs $650,000, while a recent report from The Warren Group placed the median price for a single-family home at $665,000 in May 2026. He proposes a national plan to build 5 million homes over five years on federal land, such as former military bases, with incentives for developers. He also criticized energy costs, noting that delivery can cost four times the supply, and advocated for nuclear and natural gas energy in an October debate.

The candidate's campaign asserts that three insurance companies control over 90% of the health sector and proposes breaking them up. He emphasized vocational training as an alternative to university education, suggesting a vocational GI Bill with credits and grants to help young people start businesses without incurring $200,000 in student debt. For Lawrence, which is 82.3% Latino, and Lowell, he plans tax credits and business zones with preferential treatment for small enterprises.

Markey, a senator since 1977, defends a path to citizenship for immigrants already in the country and voted to defund ICE in January following deaths in Minneapolis. He introduced the SPARK Act in February to provide grants and low-cost loans to small businesses in underserved communities. A MassINC poll from early October shows Markey leading Deaton 54% to 28%. Massachusetts has not sent a Republican to the Senate since Scott Brown in 2010.

The election ballot includes nine additional questions. Voters will cast their ballots on November 3, with guides from El Planeta, CommonWealth Beacon, and The Bay State Banner available to explain the measures in Spanish.