Trump admin sues Boston over sanctuary city policies

The US Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Police Department, and its commissioner over the city’s sanctuary laws, accusing local officials of obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Boston’s policies directly violate federal law and endanger public safety.

“The City of Boston and its Mayor have been among the worst sanctuary offenders in America; they explicitly enforce policies designed to undermine law enforcement and protect illegal aliens from justice,” Bondi said in a statement. “If Boston won’t protect its citizens from illegal alien crime, this Department of Justice will.”

According to the complaint, Boston routinely refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, leading to the release of criminal aliens who otherwise would have been taken into custody for removal proceedings. The DOJ said that includes individuals convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking.

Last month, Wu slammed the Trump administration on Tuesday, dismissing federal threats over the city’s sanctuary policies and directly challenging Bondi.

The lawsuit is part of a broader campaign launched under Bondi’s leadership. On her first day as attorney general, she directed the DOJ’s Civil Division to identify state and local policies that obstruct federal immigration law. In August, Bondi published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, with Boston prominently included, and pledged legal action to dismantle those policies nationwide.

The case follows similar lawsuits filed by the DOJ against sanctuary jurisdictions in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. Federal officials argue that cities adopting sanctuary practices not only defy federal law but also create a public-safety crisis by releasing offenders back into local communities rather than transferring them to federal custody.