ICE Plans Increased Enforcement in Boston After Mayor Wu Defies Sanctuary Order

Federal immigration officials, led by Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, have vowed to intensify enforcement in Boston by increasing the number of ICE agents in response to Mayor Michelle Wu's refusal to dismantle the city's sanctuary protections, which the Trump administration has ordered to be removed. Lyons criticized the sanctuary city policies, claiming they lead to more criminal aliens being released into communities, while Patricia Hyde, acting field office director for ICE in Boston, described the city's stance as a public safety crisis and affirmed ICE's commitment to enforcing federal immigration laws despite local resistance. Mayor Wu rejected the federal ultimatum and accused the Trump administration of attacking cities to deflect from its failures, emphasizing that Boston follows the law and will continue protecting its diverse community. The conflict centers around Boston's Trust Act, which limits cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities on civil warrants but allows collaboration on serious criminal cases. Federal officials highlighted past enforcement operations that resulted in arrests of numerous illegal immigrant offenders, including those charged with violent crimes, to justify increased ICE presence. The escalating dispute illustrates the ongoing tension between local sanctuary policies and the federal government's aggressive immigration enforcement agenda under President Trump.