Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city will look to continue to protect immigrants in “every possible way” under the threat of mass deportations from President-elect Donald Trump.
“Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities — no individual city — can reverse or override some parts of that,” Wu said on WCVB’s “On the Record” segment that aired Sunday. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way; that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and having large scale economic impacts.”
Wu cited Boston’s status as a sanctuary city under the Trust Act passed in 2014, which limits cooperation with some federal immigration laws. The law prohibits Boston police and other city departments from cooperating with ICE when it comes to detaining immigrants on civil warrants, while still allowing for cooperation in criminal matters like human trafficking and cyber crimes.
Massachusetts towns including Somerville and Amherst have recently reaffirmed their commitments to remain sanctuary cities, as the Trump campaign’s promises of mass deportations loom.
Wu previously told WGBH the city has laws preventing local police from assisting under any mass deportation efforts based solely on immigration status.
“We want immigrants to know that it is safe for everyone to be able to feel comfortable reaching out for emergency services, to report a crime, to ask for help, and generally, to be part of our community,” Wu said Sunday.
Boston resources including housing are “stretched,” Wu said, with many shelters already at “winter levels of over-capacity already during the summer” as new residents arrive.
Wu did not give many specifics as to what the city role may be if federal officials step up deportation efforts locally, but said she does not want people to feel suddenly like they need to “retreat into the shadows.”
“Reaching out to city services, whether it’s calling 911 when you need it, or taking your child to school — those are all city services that have nothing to do with immigration enforcement,” said Wu. “And we will continue to protect our residents within those spaces.”
