The new U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Leah Foley, said Wednesday that her office would investigate any allegations that state or city officials were impeding federal efforts to remove undocumented immigrants.
Foley said the U.S. Department of Justice is focused on removing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.
“If anyone, regardless of who they are, obstructs justice and the administration of justice, our office will investigate,” Foley said at the federal courthouse building in Boston’s seaport district.
Her comments followed a question by GBH News about how she would respond to a memo by the Trump Administration threatening to investigate and possibly charge state and local officials with illegally harboring undocumented immigrants. Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, has said that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Gov. Maura Healy could be subject to arrests if they were believed to be obstructing an ICE investigation.
“I disagree with Mayor Wu and Gov. Healey that all resources should not be dedicated to making our communities safer,” she said.
Foley was appointed in January by James McHenry, who served as acting Attorney General until Pam Bondi was confirmed by the Senate this week.
Foley, 54, spoke with reporters Wednesday on a wide range of issues. She is a veteran prosecutor who has served in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office since 2006. She was the lead attorney for Boston’s Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force for more than a decade.
Foley’s new position is temporary; she hopes to be formally nominated by President Trump and then would need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Foley’s tenure begins amidst a climate of conflict between Democratic advocates, progressive officials and those in the Trump Administration. A Boston University employee recently triggered outrage across the country after he posted on social media the names of six young men who work for Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency – saying they were wanted “dead or alive.”
Foley told reporters that worker’s action could trigger a federal investigation. “We’re going to look into it and see if there was a violation of federal crime,’’ she said. “We take those threats seriously.”
Foley also maintained that her office would not go after people solely because of different politics. She was responding to questions about statements by Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to head the FBI. Patel published a book in 2023 with a list of “government gangsters” who should be prosecuted, including former Biden officials and Massachusetts residents, Jake Sullivan and Samantha Powers. Foley said she had not seen the list.
“I don’t know who’s on that list. Nobody’s talked to me about a list,’’ she said. “I can assure you that this office will never investigate someone solely because they disagree with us politically. Ideologically. That is just not what this office is going to do.”
Foley also defended the president’s authority to pardon or commute people involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Congress.
“My opinion as to whether those were just or warranted is irrelevant,’’ she said.
Foley says her focus is on addressing issues “that make communities live in fear” – including the proliferation of fentanyl, gun violence and sex trafficking. Seven assistant U.S. attorneys have been hired in recent weeks, she said, but a hiring freeze is now in effect. She said she is still evaluating whether some units in her office will increase or shrink; the human trafficking unit would remain unchanged, she said.
“I can say whatever message people are going to receive from this office is that we will work to protect every person in this commonwealth – and that includes protecting people from violence, from hate crimes, from corrupt politicians. We are going to work with our law enforcement.”
