Who are you going to believe — Wu, or your lying eyes?
That was the challenge presented by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who tried to convince a congressional committee Wednesday that, despite the many public proclamations in the past, Boston is not an official “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants.
Wu was one of four mayors who appeared before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Wednesday for a hearing focusing on American cities that forbid local law enforcement from working with federal authorities to enforce U.S. immigration law.
And while Wu insisted Boston is not the sanctuary city it’s portrayed to be, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) wasn’t buying it.
“The city of Boston was declared a sanctuary city by you, mayor,” Palmer said.
A game of semantics ensued.
“Being a sanctuary city as you describe it, or being a welcoming city as we describe it, that’s home for everyone,” Wu responded. A clearly frustrated Palmer cut her off, and he raised the possibility that Wu and the other mayors testifying before the House Oversight Committee could be slapped with obstruction of justice charges.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) managed to get Wu to admit she retained attorneys to help her craft her testify. Wu and other mayors were also asked how much Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars their cities have accepted to shelter illegal immigrants.
“I don’t have the number,” Wu said.
“(They’re) all lawyered up,” Higgins later exclaimed. “They’ve changed their narrative.”
Wu was also asked directly by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) a “yes-or-no” question on whether “breaking into our country is a crime.”
“Yes,” Wu answered.
She was the only mayor out of four (Denver, Chicago and New York) who answered Mace’s question directly.
For Wu, Wednesday’s grilling came on the heels of viral remarks made last month by GOP President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, who vowed to “bring hell” to Boston over the city’s indifference to federal immigration law.
Wu repeatedly offered a talking point about Boston’s current low homicide rate and alleged “safest city” status. She also made sure staff were quick to circulate a video clip of her addressing Homan’s remarks during the hearing, teed up by a question from fellow Democrat and Virginia U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly.
“Shame on Tom Homan,” Wu declared. “Others may want to bring hell, we are here to bring peace to cities everywhere.”
Wu repeatedly conflated legal and illegal immigration, suggesting that there is no difference between the status of immigrants regardless of how they entered the country. As an example, she used the Boston Red Sox.
“On the last four Red Sox rosters to win a World Series, one in five were immigrants,” Wu said. “Of all the faculty at Boston University to have earned the Nobel Prize, all but one were immigrants.”
“The strength of your character has nothing to do with the color of your passport.”
New Hampshire supporters of increased immigration enforcement often point to Massachusetts — and Boston in particular — as an example of how bad the illegal migration problem can get if laws are not enforced. Since the surge in illegal crossings during the Biden presidency, a steady stream of news stories has flowed out of Massachusetts involving illegal aliens arrested for violent crimes.
Meanwhile, according to city officials, Wu spent $650,000 in public funds on attorneys and consultants to prepare for her testimony and another $8,500 on support staff. Wu’s opening remarks drew heavily on the city’s low homicide rate and progressive bonafides, as she ticked off items like affordable housing initiatives and taxpayer-funded pre-kindergarten programs.
“And when it comes to criminal matters, Boston Police collaborate with state and federal law enforcement every day,” Wu claimed, adding, “Massachusetts state law and the Boston Trust Act make clear that immigration is federal law enforcement’s responsibility.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) took issue with the use of the legal term “civil.”
“I know that all of you understand a removal order is a civil order,” he said. “And that means none of you – and none of your agencies within your municipalities – are communicating or passing over someone where there’s an ICE removal detainer.
“Then you’re allowing people who’ve had due process – because that’s how you get a removal order — you’re allowing them to stay in the country.”
Boston’s TRUST Act city ordinance – which omits any mention of the term “sanctuary” – was enacted in 2014 when Wu was a city council member. And it was reaffirmed under Wu as mayor in 2024. It bars local police from “involvement in civil immigration enforcement.”
“Trust” was a word frequently used by Wu. When asked by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) what she thinks of “threats” from federal officials like Homan, Wu defended Boston’s ordinance and said she’s heard from residents that “undermining the trust is what would make our cities less safe.”
Her case has been undermined by a rash of raids since Trump took office, carried out in the Boston area by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Those headlines caught the attention of GOP lawmakers, as the number of previously arrested and/or deported violent offenders snagged by ICE continues to climb.
Wu also used her opening remarks as a fundraising opportunity. She is currently facing a primary challenge from Josh Kraft, known for his work in area nonprofits and for being the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. While Wu was testifying, Kraft attended a rally outside Boston City Hall defending the city’s ordinance.
A day earlier, Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch slammed Republicans for fundraising off of the same hearing.
“Republicans are attacking her relentlessly over her commitment to making Boston a welcoming city to immigrants,” Wu’s campaign claimed in one email. “Michelle Wu is expertly defending Boston.”
Committee Republicans clearly didn’t agree.
In one emotional portion of testimony, Mace bluntly asked each mayor, “When an illegal alien rapes a woman, do you believe you’re on the right side of history, yes or no?”
“No, rape is obviously horrible,” Wu said.
“Then why are you letting rapists back out onto the streets of Boston?” Mace pressed.
“That is not true,” Wu claimed.
Yet in July 2024, according to an ICE press release, federal officials issued a detainer against a Salvadoran national charged with rape who was being held in Boston’s Nashua Street jail.
According to ICE, Suffolk County court officials ignored the request.
The heated questioning from Mace prompted Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) to try and enter into the record data regarding U.S.-born rapists, citing her status “as a survivor of sexual violence myself.”
GOP Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) declined Pressley’s request.
“This trend of you all trying to get thrown out of committee so you can get on MSNBC is going to end. We’re not going to put up with it,” Comer said amid shouting from Pressley.
Another terse exchange occurred when Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) asked Wu how much money Boston spends on hosting illegal immigrants.
“We don’t ask about immigration status when we deliver city services,” Wu said.
A visibly incredulous Donalds asked, “Are you out of your mind?”
“To the city of Boston, just understand, that your mayor does not care how much of your resources she has spent on people who are not citizens of the city of Boston,” Donalds added.
