Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reiterated her commitment to resisting the Trump administration’s proposed deportation efforts, coinciding with the arrest of two undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts on charges of child rape.
Responding to criticism from incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan, Wu, who has pledged to uphold Boston’s status as a “sanctuary city,” stated Wednesday that she had “no intention of rolling out the welcome mat” for the president-elect and his administration.
“They can say whatever they want about me, but our public safety record speaks for itself: Boston is the safest major city in America,” the mayor said. “Our homicide rates are among the lowest of any city nationally, and gun violence has been at an all-time historic low over the last two years here in Boston”.
On the same day, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Boston reported the arrests of two undocumented immigrants accused of forcibly raping children: 42-year-old Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos of Colombia and 21-year-old Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz of Guatemala.
Additionally, another migrant, previously convicted of raping a child in Brazil and sentenced to 14 years in prison before fleeing to the United States, was arrested on Thursday.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also stated she would not cooperate with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. Support for Trump in Boston has grown since 2016, when he received 14.1% of the vote. Although Boston remains a Democrat stronghold, Trump garnered 20.4% of the vote in November.
Mayor Wu first addressed Trump’s deportation plan on November 17, telling a local news outlet that she would not comply with deportation efforts, emphasizing Boston’s status as a sanctuary city.
“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. “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 explained that under the 2014 Boston Trust Act, the city will not provide resources or personnel to assist with civil immigration detainers unless they involve serious criminal offenses.
Mayor Wu "we are not co-operating" with deportations and she suggests that a city may in fact be able to "reverse or override some parts" of federal immigration law, this morning on WCVB "On the Record" #mapoli #bospoli pic.twitter.com/gO8hJJcmz2
— JohnFGately (@johnfgately) November 17, 2024
When asked about Boston’s challenges with the migrant crisis, Wu acknowledged that “resources are stretched,” noting that shelters are at full capacity due to the influx of “newly arrived residents.”
The city’s struggles gained national attention when migrants began using a terminal at Boston Logan Airport as a temporary shelter.
Wu expressed concern that some residents might “retreat into the shadows,” avoiding city services like schools or refraining from calling 911 out of fear of deportation.
In response, Homan criticized Wu during a Newsmax interview on Monday, questioning her judgment and urging her to either assist with the efforts or “get the hell out of the way.”
“She’s not very smart, I’ll give her that,” Homan said. “President Trump’s going to prioritize public safety threats. What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities? That’s your number one responsibility, to protect your communities, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Homan responds to Boston’s Mayor: I suggests she read title eight, United States Code 1324 III that says, you can't harbor or conceal an illegal alien from federal law enforcement. So I hope she don't cross that line. pic.twitter.com/HUhIF3Y4r5
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 19, 2024
“So she helps us or she gets the hell out of the way because we’re going to do it,” he added. “They can not cooperate, but there are certain laws in place that they can’t cross. And I hope she doesn’t cross it.”
Homan referenced Title 8, United States Code 1324 III, which prohibits harboring or concealing an undocumented immigrant from law enforcement.
He also criticized Wu and her mentor, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in a post on X Monday, accusing them of encouraging undocumented immigrants to enter the state. Homan further stated that Massachusetts would become a “key focal point” in upcoming mass deportation efforts.
It’s true. One of the reasons why rent is so high in Massachusetts is because of the laws fought for by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor, Michelle Wu.
— Tom Homan – Border Czar (Commentary account only) (@TomHoman_) November 18, 2024
Their loyalty lies with driving illegal aliens into their state to give them the affordable housing.
While… https://t.co/ze1B6zNUgX pic.twitter.com/CTLtHq1sZO
“While Massachusetts puts illegal aliens first, the Trump administration will put Americans first!” Homan said.
