Deaton pledges 5 million new homes on federal land
The Massachusetts Senate candidate outlines a plan to cut housing costs while targeting legal status for long-term immigrants ahead of the November 3 vote.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
John Deaton proposes building 5 million new housing units within five years on federal properties, including former military bases, to tackle the high cost of living in Massachusetts.
The Republican Senate candidate cites a median single-family home price of $650,000 in the state, according to The Warren Group data from May 2026. He argues that young professionals earning $100,000 annually cannot afford the current market. Deaton intends to offer incentives to developers to accelerate construction on government-owned land.
On immigration, Deaton rejects both open borders and mass deportations. He proposes objective criteria for granting legal status to individuals who have resided in the country for over 10 years, work or study, and have no criminal record. This status would begin as a temporary three-year probationary period. If the individual maintains a clean record, they would move to permanent status and eventually qualify for citizenship. Deaton suggested a processing fee between $500 and $5,000, though the final amount remains undecided.
Deaton also targets the structure of immigration enforcement. He opposes abolishing ICE, calling it a slogan rather than a policy. Instead, he proposes a model similar to Secure Communities, where ICE removes undocumented individuals from jails after local police arrest them for serious crimes. He explicitly stated that agents should not conduct raids at retail stores, churches, or restaurants. In Lawrence, a city that is 82.3% Latino, he plans to implement tax credits and business zones to support small entrepreneurs.
Deaton, a former Marine and lawyer who has represented workers with asbestos cancer for 25 years, describes himself as an independent who will vote with either party as needed. He noted he never voted for Donald Trump. His opponent, Sen. Ed Markey, has served in Congress since 1977 and advocates for abolishing ICE. Markey also supports the SECURE Act to provide permanent residency for TPS holders, a status that affects more than 7,000 Salvadoran residents in Massachusetts.
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. Voting begins Tuesday, November 3, alongside nine state ballot questions.
