Controversial ex-Sheriff Tom Hodgson headlines Trump Super Tuesday event in Quincy

QUINCY - A packed function room at the Bay Pointe Restaurant in Quincy became the official headquarters for the Massachusetts campaign to reelect Donald Trump. Chairman of the state campaign and controversial ex-Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson headlined the event.

Asked if there is a single issue driving the race, Hodgson replied without hesitation that immigration is at the forefront of voters' minds.

Hodgson, who lost a reelection bid in 2022 after 25 years in office, has a long history of controversial statements and actions regarding immigration.

In 2017, he recommended the arrest of leaders of 'sanctuary cities' during a congressional hearing, according to a WCVB report. 'Sanctuary city' is a loose term for communities that don't fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

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Hodgson told The Patriot Ledger he couldn't recall his exact words on that occasion, but that he stood by his earlier position. He said that the presence of undocumented immigrants lies at the root of what he sees as major problems facing the country, including national security, the economy, healthcare and education.

In May 2020, Hodgson again drew criticism after three detainees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement held at the Bristol County House of Corrections were hospitalized. The men reportedly showed COVID symptoms, and when guards tried to transport them to the medical wing, they resisted, fearing quarantine and exposure to the virus, according to a 2020 report by the then-Attorney General Maura Healey's office.

The confrontation escalated to the point where a paramilitary-style tactical response team led by Hodgson and armed with riot gear, dogs, and pepper spray was deployed. One detainee required chest compressions to be revived, the report said.

Hodgson said that the detainees attacked the guards and staged a riot.

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The report charged Hodgson with a long history of treating detainees harshly, and cited his offer to send detainees in his custody to "work in chain gangs" on Trump's border wall. In May 2021, the Department of Homeland Security under newly appointed Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas terminated its contract with the Bristol County Sheriff's office.

At the campaign event, Hodgson said that Trump is "all about the rule of law." He said that gang members and terrorists crossing the border are poisoning communities and deteriorating the quality of life. "They're lawbreakers," Hodgson said.

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Chester Tam lived on Sea Street in Quincy for about ten years before moving to Dartmouth. Tam designed the campaign's website and works on digital and social media, email drives and communications.

Tam said that for a long time he considered himself apolitical. But in 2021, he lost his job as an IT specialist at Mass General Brigham after he refused the COVID-19 vaccination. Tam said he was working remotely 100% of the time he was fired.

With a wife and three kids, Tam now found himself without an income. His unemployment application was rejected by the state. "I put nine years into that company," he said.

Unemployed and looking for an outlet, Tam said he took to Twitter to express his frustrations. Since then he has attracted 11,000 followers by telling the story of those like himself. He said he provides a voice for a forgotten group - those fired for refusing the vaccine.

Like Hodgson, Tam also spoke about immigration as an important reason why he supports Trump. Born in America, Tam is the son of Chinese immigrants he said moved here for a better life, but did so legally. His wife, who is from the Philippines, has relatives going through the long bureaucratic process of immigrating to the United States.

Tam said he believes undocumented immigrants in the United States have caused his wife's relatives to get pushed to the back of the line.

Asked if he is ever concerned by Trump's inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants, Tam said Trump "probably doesn't use the best words at times. Ultimately, he gets his point across."

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: MA Primary Election: Trump campaign rallies in Quincy on Super Tuesday