Mayor Wu Comes back at Trump border czar Tom Homan over the deportation rhetoric

By Vivienne Feller

Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu has responded to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan, who attacked Wu’s stance on her immigration policies.

Homan said during a News Max interview that Wu is “not very smart” for opposing federal agents’ efforts to detain migrants on civil warrants in Boston. However, Wu countered his stance by emphasizing Boston’s public safety record, noting that the city is the safest major city in the U.S. due to the city’s focus on building overall trust between its residents and law enforcement. 

Wu has defended Boston’s law, which was passed in 2014, that limits police cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in detaining people based solely on their immigration status. Wu later argued that this policy helps ensure that residents can feel safer reporting crimes and accessing public services. 

Wu has also criticized the incoming administration for the contradictory statements regarding deportations, emphasizing the difference between Trump’s mass deportation promises and claims of prioritizing criminal threats.

It was also reiterated that local policies focus on community safety, and made sure to point out that Boston will continue to work with federal agencies on issues like human trafficking and child exploitation.