U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued a directive to leaders in Boston and other identified “sanctuary jurisdictions,” demanding they justify any policies that hinder federal immigration enforcement.
In a letter addressed to these city officials, Bondi stated, “You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States.”
She emphasized, “This ends now. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.”
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department unveiled a list of 35 jurisdictions, including Boston, pinpointed for possessing policies that allegedly obstruct federal immigration laws.
Many of the entities on this list are Democratic-leaning areas, with Boston being one of them. Notably, the state of Massachusetts itself is not included in this list.
The statement from the Justice Department referred to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on April 28, which criticized state and local officials for using their authority to “violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.”
The letters sent by Bondi’s office did not clarify any potential penalties for jurisdictions that do not comply with the federal government’s requests.
During a recent interview with Fox News, Bondi explained her actions, stating, “I’ve sent out letters to all of these mayors and to the governors, saying, ‘You must comply. We want to know what you’re doing to comply with our federal government.’ So we’re going to see. I’ll let you know how they respond.”
In response, Wu’s office released a brief statement dismissing Bondi’s demands, asserting, “Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law.”
Boston’s policies regarding immigration enforcement are guided by a city ordinance known as the “Trust Act,” which delineates specific limits on how the local authorities can collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Under the Trust Act, local police are restricted from engaging with ICE on civil immigration matters; this means they cannot inquire about an individual’s immigration status, provide information to ICE, or act on ICE administrative warrants absent other criminal charges.
Furthermore, local police cannot transfer individuals to ICE custody nor act in the capacity of immigration officers.
If ICE suspects that an individual in police custody may qualify for deportation, they can issue a detainer requesting local law enforcement to notify them prior to the person’s release or to detain them for an additional 48 hours.
However, these detainers are fundamentally based on civil violations, not criminal ones.
Boston police do not honor these detainer requests, in keeping with the stipulations of the Trust Act.
Additionally, the Trust Act requires the Boston Police Department (BPD) to generate annual reports detailing the number of civil immigration detainer requests received from ICE, the number of individuals detained or transferred to ICE custody, as well as any arrests made in relation to criminal reentry during unrelated police activities.
The law was updated in 2019 to bolster restrictions on data sharing between police and ICE, and it mandated that police officers receive training pertaining to this policy.
Reaffirming their commitment to these principles, the Boston City Council supported the Trust Act again in 2024, with Wu robustly defending the ordinance during a testimony before a U.S. House committee earlier this year.
image source from：masslive
