A day after a tense congressional hearing over immigration enforcement and sanctuary cities, a federal agency announced plans to move its offices out of six cities that it said “do not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” including Boston.
U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler described the moves as part of a series of reforms to support President Donald Trump’s agenda and “to put American citizens first by ending taxpayer benefits for illegal aliens and moving SBA offices out of sanctuary cities.”
“Over the coming months, the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle regional offices will be moved to less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration law,” the SBA said in a press release Thursday.
The SBA’s main regional office in Boston on Causeway Street near North Station, and the agency also has an office in Springfield. The SBA did not say to where it planned to move the Boston office.
The agency also announced that it plans in the coming days to promulgate a new policy requiring SBA loan applications to include a citizenship verification provision. The change is designed “to ensure only legal, eligible applicants can access SBA programs,” the SBA said, adding that under the policy lenders will be required to confirm that applicant businesses “are not owned in whole or in part by an illegal alien.”
“Over the last four years, the record invasion of illegal aliens has jeopardized both the lives of American citizens and the livelihoods of American small business owners, who have each become victims of Joe Biden’s migrant crime spree. Under President Trump, the SBA is committed to putting American citizens first again – starting by ensuring that zero taxpayer dollars go to fund illegal aliens,” Loeffler said in a statement.
Testifying before a congressional committee Wednesday , Boston Mayor Michelle Wu urged federal officials to adopt national immigration reforms, defended the roles that immigrants are playing in the Massachusetts economy, and said the city is complying with local, state and federal laws.
