Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city has laws in place to protect immigrants during of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, under which he has promised mass deportations.
Wu, speaking on Boston Public Radio’s “Ask The Mayor” segment, said local law enforcement does not have to assist in deportations of people based solely on immigration status.
“The Boston Trust Act puts strict prohibitions on local law enforcement from being pulled into becoming the enforcement arm for the whims of whatever the sort of approach of the federal immigration law might be,” Wu said.
The Boston Trust Act was signed into law in 2014 under Mayor Marty Walsh, and amendments were made in 2019.
The act states Boston police officers will not ask people about their immigration status, share information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, make arrests based solely on ICE warrants, perform the functions of federal immigration officers or transfer someone to ICE custody. The act specifies that police will work with ICE on matters related to public safety, such as trafficking and cybercrimes.
Wu said her administration is preparing for all scenarios when it comes to immigration and deportations, and work is already underway with local experts and advocacy groups.
“Our charge here is to take care of the residents of Boston and to use the resources that we have from all the sources that are available to get things done on the issues that matter,” Wu said.
She assured residents that city funding hasn’t been redirected toward the migrant crisis, leaving other sectors short.
Gov. Maura Healey has also said state police will not assist the Trump administration when it comes to mass deportations.
In Massachusetts, troopers act on allegations of crimes being committed, not federal immigration detainer requests.
