Mayor Michelle Wu says that despite repeated attempts to get information from the federal government about their plans in Boston, she’s gotten no response.
In an appearance on GBH’s Boston Public Radio Wednesday, she said that consistently, when her administration asks questions about the Trump administration’s plans for ICE or anything else, she has gotten no response. Instead, she gets her information from social media.
“We don’t have any specific information, not that we have ever gotten information from ICE,” she said. “Even when we have asked. Even when we have exercised our legal right though submitting FOIA requests to get any sense of data to get a sense of where their operations are and who they’re targeting and why.”
For instance, Wu said she heard about federal immigration agents attempting to purchase private parking spots around the city of Boston from news outlets, just like everyone else.
“We don’t have anything beyond the national news that they put out a request in certain locations to secure what looks like private parking. We continue to make very clear that Boston does, has, will continue to oppose any expansion of their illegal and immoral actions.”
However, she added that there’s little the city can do when it comes to private parking spots. The city can’t interfere with business contracts that ICE can arrange on their own.
Wu said it’s not just about the lack of open communication, it’s the way that the Trump administration is treating the city otherwise that has her furious.
“Its not just that they are not responding to us, its that they are attacking us,” she said. “They’re suing us. They’re taking away our funding. They are doing everything they can to undermine the places that prove why they are wrong about everything.”
Boston remains steadfast that ICE agents can’t conduct sweeps on places like schools, churches, and courthouses. The stance accords with state law as outlined in a law that Governor Maura Healey signed last week, the PROTECT Act.
Even when it comes to elections, Wu said there was no direct information from the Trump administration about news of federal election officials being sent out to states including Massachusetts. Wu said she learned of it from social media. That prompted conversations with Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin’s office.
“We run safe, secure, free elections every year with multiple avenues to vote,” said Wu to a poll worker who brought his concerns to the live segment at the Boston Public Library. “We will be monitoring the monitors, in this situation,” she said.
Wu says that even in the last year or so, the city’s technology related to voting has dramatically improved, and all of their voting locations are up to date and ready for Sept. 1 primary.
Two primaries in which the mayor has taken an interest are for state senate seats that represent Boston. Wu has backed opponents of senators Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and Nick Collins (D-Boston) over their votes on a tax law she proposed. She supports Daniel Lander for the state senate seat representing the Suffolk and Middlesex district, currently held by Brownsberger; and Latoya Gayle for the seat representing the first Suffolk district, now held by Collins.
“We have senators representing Boston right now who don’t feel the urgency to act because they don’t see government’s role, they don’t see governments job as having to take charge of problems that community members are facing,” said Wu. “There are great people running right now who feel differently.”
Reached for comment on Wu’s statement, Brownsberger said in an email, “I don’t understand that statement. I am 100% dedicated to serving the City of Boston. We have passed many Boston home rule petitions recently. The mayor and I have disagreed on a couple of issues. I hope that on September 2 we can refocus on moved forward together. “
Campaign officials for Collins did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
