By Brogan Ringgold
Boston University News Service
With Boston Mayor Michelle Wu running unopposed in the city’s mayoral election today, tensions over immigration policies between her and the Trump administration are expected to continue throughout her next term.
Mayor Wu has stood against the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston after coming under fire from President Trump and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Most recently, the DOJ brought forth a lawsuit on September 4th against the City of Boston and Mayor Wu for their sanctuary city laws.
“The City of Boston and its Mayor have been among the worst sanctuary offenders in America,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a press release from the U.S. Office of Public Affairs. “They explicitly enforce policies designed to undermine law enforcement and protect illegal aliens from justice.”
Earlier this year, Mayor Wu testified before The U.S. House Oversight Committee, alongside mayors from New York, Denver, and Chicago, defending Boston’s policies that limit the jurisdiction of ICE in the city. The Boston Trust Act, a 2014 policy that declares Boston a sanctuary city, explicitly defines the roles of the Boston Police Department (BPD) and ICE within immigrant communities.
The resolution, which was reaffirmed in December 2024, distinguishes between ICE removal agencies and ICE Homeland Security Investigations “allowing BPD to collaborate with ICE-HSI on issues of significant public safety…while refraining from involvement in civil immigration enforcement,” according to Boston City Council.
While reinforcing existing policies in the city, Mayor Wu has worked to expand resources to immigrant communities. Last month, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) announced the launch of a $1.25 million grantmaking cycle for the 2026 fiscal year.
MOIA is working to provide funds to expand immigration legal access, improve non-clinical mental health programming, and strengthen community resource and skills programming.
“These grant funds will ensure residents are connected to city support at all times, providing a wide array of resources that best serve the ever-changing and evolving needs of our immigrant communities,” said Mayor Wu in a statement from her office.
This announcement comes after ICE’s “Operation Patriot 2.0,” where they arrested more than 1,400 people across Massachusetts on suspected immigration law violations. At least 600 of these arrests included immigrants with “significant criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.”
Despite claims of heavy crime across the city by ICE and the Trump administration, Boston has seen decreases in crime in recent years. In 2024, Boston broke the record for lowest number of homicides in the city since 1957, according to a press conference with Mayor Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Micahel Cox.
Massachusetts also saw decreases in violent and property crimes in 2024, with an average decrease of 4.4%. Robberies fell by 8.6%, aggravated assaults by 5.7%, and motor vehicle thefts by 16.1%.
A large percentage of Boston’s population is foreign-born, with over 28% or 672,000 residents, serving as a hub for immigrant populations across New England.
“One core tenant of the identity of a New Englander and Bostonian is to be not only accepting but an advocate on behalf of are forcibly displaced,” said Jasper Milstein, a voter in the city of Boston. “It would be detrimental to our history as a city to not create an environment where everyone feels safe.”
Mayor Michelle Wu has played a role in positioning Boston as a city that is standing up to threats from the federal government. She reiterated this in a response letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi following the September lawsuit.
“On behalf of the people of Boston, and in solidarity with communities targeted by the Trump administration for our refusal to bow down to unlawful threats, we affirm our support for each other and for our democracy,” said Mayor Wu in the letter. “Boston will never back down from being a beacon of freedom and a home for everyone.”
