Justice Department sues Boston for failing to cooperate with ICE

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Boston over its immigration policies. Specifically, the agency led by Pam Bondi argues that the city limits cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to a minimum, intentionally obstructing federal laws.

The lawsuit names Mayor Michelle Wu, the police chief, and the municipal police. It also cites the Boston Trust Act, a local law that prevents police from detaining or turning over individuals for civil immigration violations, except in cases of serious crimes.

"The City of Boston and its Mayor have been among the worst sanctuary offenders in America, they explicitly enforce policies designed to undermine law enforcement and protect illegal aliens from justice," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

"If Boston won’t protect its citizens from illegal alien crime, this Department of Justice will," she added.

About Wu, the lawsuit warns that "her resistance endangers public safety, resulting in a number of criminals being released into Boston who should have been held for immigration removal from the United States."

Recently, the attorney general had notified states, counties and 'sanctuary' cities that they must cooperate with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws. If they did not respond affirmatively by August 19, they risked being sued.

Boston's response

Mayor Wu, who was in Congress a few months ago to defend her "sanctuary" policies, issued a harsh statement in response against the DOJ, denouncing an "authoritarian agenda."

"This is our City, and we will vigorously defend our laws and the constitutional rights of cities, which have been repeatedly upheld in courts across the country. We will not yield," he noted.