Additional Coverage:
Boston’s Sanctuary City Status Challenged by DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the city of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Police Department, and its commissioner, challenging the city’s sanctuary city policies. The DOJ argues that Boston’s Trust Act, enacted in 2014, obstructs federal immigration law enforcement.
The Trust Act limits Boston police collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to serious public safety issues like human trafficking and drug trafficking, while avoiding involvement in civil immigration matters. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized Boston as one of the “worst sanctuary offenders,” alleging that the city’s policies shield undocumented immigrants from justice. The DOJ contends that the Trust Act allows the release of dangerous criminals, including those convicted of violent crimes and drug offenses, back into the community.
Mayor Wu has condemned the lawsuit as an “unconstitutional attack,” vowing to defend the city’s laws and the rights of its residents. She maintains that Boston is a safe and thriving city, and that the administration is pursuing an “authoritarian agenda.”
This legal action follows similar suits filed by the DOJ against Los Angeles and New York City. However, a recent ruling dismissed a similar lawsuit against Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago, potentially setting a precedent for the Boston case.
Prior to the lawsuit, there was an exchange between Bondi and Wu, with Bondi warning of potential legal consequences for obstructing federal immigration efforts and Wu citing the Chicago dismissal as legal support for Boston’s stance. Furthermore, a federal judge recently extended an injunction preventing the Trump administration from withholding funds from sanctuary jurisdictions, including Boston.