Boston Mayor Michelle Wu fired back at the Trump administration Tuesday, defending Boston’s policies and practices protecting immigrants in the face of a deadline to end them issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The U.S. Attorney General asked for a response by today, so here it is,” Wu said to cheers at a press conference in front of City Hall. “Stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures. Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law, and Boston will not back down from who we are and what we stand for.”
“You are wrong on the law, and you are wrong on safety. Most of all, you are wrong on cities,” she said.
Wu was one of 32 mayors, county executives and governors who, earlier this month, received letters from Bondi demanding that they “confirm their commitment to complying with federal law” and spell out steps they’re taking to eliminate rules that “impede federal immigration enforcement.”
The letter, which hinted at withholding federal funding and other unspecified potential follow up actions from the agency, followed an Aug. 5 Justice Department release that identified 13 states, 4 counties and 18 cities as “having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
Massachusetts was not on the list of states, though Boston was included among the cities. Maura Healey did not immediately respond to request for comment on the City of Boston being targeted by the Trump Administration.
Wu said the letter’s threats were “serious and consequential,” and contended that the Trump administration is missing the mark.
“Under the Trump administration, groceries are less affordable, housing is harder to build, cures for cancer are farther away, and good news on our economy has been as hard to find as the Epstein list,” Wu said. “But as always, cities are doing everything we can to protect our residents and keep moving forward.”
Wu’s response comes as Democratic leaders across the country, including state governors from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon and Colorado, have responded defensively to Bondi and the Trump Administration.
