From his stage in Washington, D.C., this weekend, the Trump administration’s new border czar Tom Homan set his sights on Boston.
“The police commissioner of Boston — you said you’d double down on not helping the law enforcement office of ICE. I’m coming to Boston, I’m bringing hell with me,” Homan said Saturday to applause at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.
“You’re not a police commissioner. Take that badge off your desk, put it in your desk drawer — because you became a politician,” Homan added. “You forgot what it’s like to be a cop.”
The Boston Police Department did not immediately respond to questions from GBH News. In an appearance early last week on WCVB , Commissioner Michael Cox said people don’t understand the “difference between criminal warrants and civil detainers.” He said, per state and local laws, Boston officers won’t work with ICE solely to enforce civil detainers regarding immigration law. He called that a “defining line.”
But on social media, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responded to Homan’s comments.
“This is our city. We’re going to continue following & enforcing the laws to keep all Bostonians safe,” Wu posted Saturday afternoon. “And it goes without saying that our police commissioner has my complete confidence & support.”
The Rev. Annie Gonzalez is a volunteer leader with the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network. She says these comments are made to stoke fear in Boston’s immigrant communities.
“They’re trying to create fear everywhere they can, in every way they can,” Gonzalez said. “And people are understandably afraid because of the increased enforcement that is happening — and could, I’m sure, get worse.”
She says she’s already seeing people change their behavior to avoid immigration enforcement.
“It’s so heartbreaking because they shouldn’t have to do that. People shouldn’t have to be afraid to leave their homes or afraid to go to work.”
Wu will testify next month before a congressional committee that is investigating sanctuary cities.
Tori Bedford contributed reporting.
