Despite sanctuary city policies aimed at preventing cooperation with immigration authorities, some Boston police officers are reportedly assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in secret.
According to Breitbart, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said officers in Boston are privately providing information to help capture undocumented immigrants with criminal records, going against the directives of Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration.
Boston has been a proclaimed sanctuary city under Democratic leadership, limiting local law enforcement from working with ICE in immigration-related matters. Mayor Michelle Wu has been vocal in her opposition to such cooperation, previously comparing the agency to secret police forces and neo-Nazi groups. The city’s sanctuary status also reflects broader Massachusetts policy trends.
Covert Cooperation Driven by Law Enforcement Concerns
According to Lyons, many officers are acting out of growing frustration with a pattern of repeat offenses by individuals they identify as criminal non-citizens. These officers reportedly feel that without ICE intervention, public safety risks remain unresolved. However, due to the political climate, they are allegedly working with federal agents without informing their departments.
“They can’t cooperate openly out of fear of getting in trouble or getting fired,” Lyons stated. He emphasized that the decision by some officers to act discreetly is motivated by concerns for community safety and repeated run-ins with the same offenders.
Lyons added that this issue isn’t unique to Boston and that ICE sees similar underground cooperation from local police departments in other sanctuary jurisdictions. These accounts, he said, show that many officers nationwide are supportive of ICE's mission, even when city leadership is not.
ICE Director Links Sanctuary Policies to Crime Increase
In his remarks, Lyons pushed back against sanctuary policies, suggesting that restrictions on collaboration with immigration authorities allow criminal offenders to remain free in communities. He argued that these policies prevent ICE from efficiently removing individuals who pose a public safety risk. “There are so many of these criminal aliens that keep getting released to go out and commit more crimes,” Lyons said, citing the strain on local law enforcement. He claimed that ICE involvement could relieve this pressure by quickly detaining those with severe criminal records.
In Lyons’ view, sanctuary designations like Boston’s do not lead to safer cities. Instead, he claimed they result in more undocumented individuals with criminal records remaining active in communities—requiring repeated response from local police.
City Leadership Faces Criticism From Federal Agency
While Boston’s current policy aims to protect immigrant communities from deportation, the federal agency argues the approach undermines enforcement efforts. Lyons was direct in his criticism of Mayor Wu and other city officials, asserting that they have little understanding of the ground-level challenges faced by law enforcement officers. He suggested that city leadership is out of touch with frontline experiences, where officers frequently handle incidents involving individuals with prior arrests or outstanding charges. This disconnect, Lyons said, leads officers to quietly turn to federal agents for help.
Mayor Wu, who has strongly criticized ICE operations in the past, leads an administration known for resisting any formal coordination with the agency. Her policies aim to reduce the fear of deportation among immigrant communities and foster trust in local police.
ICE Plans Increased Enforcement Activity in Boston
Despite objections from municipal leaders, ICE says it plans to expand operations in Boston and other sanctuary cities in the near future. Lyons suggested that the agency will increase its regional presence to counteract local resistance.
“We’re definitely going to, as you’ve heard the saying, flood the zone,” he said, specifically mentioning sanctuary jurisdictions like Boston as key focus areas. Lyons argued that such a surge would allow the agency to enforce federal law regardless of city policies designed to curb collaboration. He underscored the agency’s position that removing certain individuals from communities is crucial to maintaining public safety, especially in environments where repeat offenses are a growing concern.
Nationwide Trend Suggests Broader Conflict Over Policy
Lyons’ comments point to an ongoing struggle between federal agencies and local governments across the United States. While some cities enact sanctuary policies designed to protect immigrants, ICE continues to seek cooperation through alternative channels. The pattern of discreet support from law enforcement officers, as described by Lyons, suggests that not all public safety professionals support non-cooperation policies. This divide is leading to a complex and often secretive relationship between local and federal authorities.
As the immigration debate continues, Boston may serve as an illustrative example of these tensions. Whether or not overt cooperation resumes, the behind-the-scenes involvement could shape how immigration enforcement evolves in sanctuary cities nationwide.
