Voters in New England's most populous city are casting ballots Tuesday in a mayoral election amid a new crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts.
The voting comes as Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, who's seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that "ICE launched 'Patriot 2.0' to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May."
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And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, "Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities."
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Wu, on Monday, pushed back
"They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety," Wu charged. "This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push."
And the mayor claimed, "For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer."
Boston's Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant.
The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown.
Polls indicate Wu is heavily favored in Tuesday's nonpartisan preliminary mayoral contest, which will narrow the field to two for November's general election in the left-leaning city.
Wu, the first woman and person of color elected Boston mayor, is facing three challengers, with philanthropist Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, likely to join her in advancing.
