Feds Launch New Immigration Crackdown In Boston, Wu Pushes Back
Written by b87fm on 09/08/2025
The Trump administration has rolled out a new immigration enforcement operation in Massachusetts aimed at deporting people living in the state without legal status who also have criminal convictions, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The initiative — called “Patriot 2.0” — comes just months after a similar sweep earlier this year. Federal officials say they’ll be targeting people released from custody by local authorities, pointing fingers at Boston’s sanctuary city policies as the reason they’re ramping up efforts here.
Mayor Michelle Wu made it clear the city won’t be using Boston Police or local resources to help carry out the plan.
“No Boston police or local resources will be co-opted into federal immigration enforcement and their mass deportation agenda,” Wu said Sunday. “That does not make our community safer.”
Governor Maura Healey also criticized the raids, calling them more about “political theater” than public safety.
The Justice Department has already sued Boston over its sanctuary policy, which limits how local law enforcement can work with federal immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, the White House has signaled it’s not just Boston — Chicago and other so-called “sanctuary cities” are also expected to see aggressive operations in the coming months. In L.A., officials say more than 5,000 people have been arrested since June under the same playbook.
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All of this is unfolding just as Boston gears up for Tuesday’s mayoral primary, where Wu faces challenges from Josh Kraft (son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft), former police officer Robert Cappucci, and community organizer Domingos DaRosa. The top two vote-getters will move on to November’s general election.
