The Boston City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to protect the illegal immigrant population from the incoming Trump administration, which has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history.
"As the national climate grows increasingly hostile towards immigrant populations, we must reaffirm who we are as a city, our leadership role in maintaining a positive and welcoming environment here with our immigrant communities,” said City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who introduced the resolution. “This resolution is just enforcing what is already on the books and what is already enforced, but I think our immigrant communities need to hear that we, as a Boston City Council, unanimously support them via the Trust Act.””
The 13-0 vote was to reaffirm the Boston Trust Act, which, per the Council’s approved resolution, was first enacted in 2014, later amended in 2019, and “delineates the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Boston Police Department from those of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), thereby promoting trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities.”
The law prohibits Boston Police and other city departments from cooperating with ICE when it comes to detaining immigrants on civil warrants, while still allowing for cooperation in criminal matters like human trafficking, child exploitation, drug and weapons trafficking, and cybercrimes, according to the resolution. (Boston Herald)
“It’s not just a policy, but it is a promise to our immigrant neighbors that they are welcome here, and this is a safe haven, and they don’t have to live in fear of being unjustly scrutinized or even ripped away from their families,” Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata said at the meeting. “As we brace for impact, we’ve got to make sure that we all work together.”
President-elect Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan has warned sanctuary cities and states not to "test" the administration.
“It is a felony to knowingly harbor or conceal an illegal immigrant from immigration authorities," he said. "Don’t test us.”
Homan has explained that the deportation effort will be targeted and first address the criminal aliens.