Politics & Government
ICE Launches Massachusetts Crackdown: Reports
ICE claims it has nabbed the "worst of the worst."
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have flooded Massachusetts in a massive operation, multiple media outlets have reported.
"The operation began late this week and was expected to last several weeks, according to two sources with knowledge of the initiative," according to a story in the New York Times.
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The sources "spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the activity publicly," the Times story said. "One U.S. official who also was not authorized to speak publicly said the agency had prepared plans for a wider surge of immigration enforcement starting this month."
ICE claimed credit for apprehending the "child predators, murderers, and rapists" in a statement released Friday.
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"Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, nowhere is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens," according to the statement, which was attributed to an unidentified Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
Related: Boston Named 'Harmful' Sanctuary Jurisdiction By DOJ
"If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return," the unidentified "DHS Spokesperson" said.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called the ice effort "'political theater' with no benefit to public safety, according to Mass Live.
"What we have seen from ICE and from the administration really isn’t about public safety, it’s about political theater,” Healey said, according to Mass Live. “It’s about a political power grab and an attempt to intimidate.”
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DHS "specifically called out Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, claiming so-called 'sanctuary policies' in the city "attract and harbor criminals," WBUR reported.
Multiple media outlets previously reported that acting ICE Director Todd Lyons had threatened to "flood" Boston with agents in response to Mayor Michelle Wu refusing to conform to the Trump Administration's immigration policies.
In an Aug. 19 letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Wu said Boston would stand in "solidarity with the cities and communities targeted by this federal administration."
See also: Trump Vows To End Mail-In Ballots: What MA Voters Need To Know
"I write in response to your letter of August 13, 2025, threatening to prosecute local officials and illegally withhold federal grants and contracts unless the City of Boston agrees to actively participate in mass deportations," Wu's letter said.
"On behalf of the people of Boston, and in solidarity with the cities and communities targeted by this federal administration for our refusal to bow down to unconstitutional threats and unlawful coercion, we affirm our support for each other and for our democracy," Wu said in the letter. "Boston will never back down from being a beacon of freedom, and a home for everyone."
See also: RI And CT AGs Threaten To Sue Trump Administration Over Wind Farm Work Stoppage
The WBUR story said Wu has "pointed to the city's Trust Act, which prohibits Boston police from working with ICE on civil immigration detainers. Under the ordinance, Boston police do cooperate with federal authorities on criminal cases."
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