The newly appointed U.S. legal professional for Massachusetts mentioned her workplace is not going to goal native politicians or police who disagree with President Trump’s immigration directives.
Nonetheless, Massachusetts U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley harassed that nobody is “immune from federal prosecution” in the event that they intrude with the federal government’s enforcement actions.
“I wish to make it clear that we’re not concentrating on anybody,” Foley instructed reporters throughout a roundtable assembly at federal court docket in Boston Wednesday. She mentioned the main focus proper now from the Division of Justice “is to search out and take away unlawful immigrants on this nation who’ve dedicated crimes.”
Foley made her remarks in response to questions concerning the Trump administration’s current demand that federal prosecutors cost native officers who refuse to adjust to federal immigration orders.
In current weeks, many high-profile politicos in Trump’s administration and several other Republican Congress members have falsely accused Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and different Massachusetts leaders of making protected havens for immigrants who commit violent crimes.
Final week, the chief of the Home Committee on Oversight and Authorities Reform requested Wu to seem earlier than the panel to reply questions concerning the metropolis’s Belief Act, a coverage in place since 2014 that claims native police usually are not required to help federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers until the teams are investigating sure critical crimes. The governor has issued related steerage to state police.
“I disagree with Mayor Wu and Gov. Healey that each one sources shouldn’t be devoted to creating our communities safer,” Foley mentioned. Nonetheless, she added that “not serving to isn’t obstruction.”
“We’re not asking them to do our jobs,” she mentioned. “ICE isn’t asking them to do ICE’s job. We wish them to do their jobs, however we’d additionally anticipate that they do not intrude.”
Her workplace, Foley mentioned, is in talks with the governor’s administration and district attorneys throughout the state in hopes there are “areas the place we will work collectively.”
On Wednesday, Foley’s workplace issued a press assertion concerning the arrest of an El Salvadoran man who lived in Chelsea and shall be deported after pleading responsible and being sentenced to 1 rely of illegal reentry final yr. Up to now twenty years, the person was deported from the U.S. 5 instances.
The announcement described him as an “Unlawful Alien” in its title, an obvious departure from language utilized in different current statements from the workplace.
When requested, Foley mentioned she was unaware of any probe into native FBI brokers who investigated crimes associated to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Foley was shortly sworn into workplace in late January, after former U.S. Lawyer Joshua Levy’s anticipated departure days earlier than Trump assumed his second time period. The U.S. Senate should verify her to the function.
A profession prosecutor, the 54-year-old who started her profession in D.C. earlier than coming to Massachusetts in 2006, mentioned she doesn’t anticipate any points along with her affirmation.
She expects to shift the division’s focus to position “a really vital emphasis” on circumstances involving victims, drug trafficking and violent crimes. A lot of her earlier profession as an assistant U.S. legal professional centered on drug-related prosecutions.
“We have now obtained to cease the overdoses and stop youthful folks from turning into hooked on medicine that may smash their lives,” she mentioned.
Foley instructed reporters she deliberate to pursue drug sellers who promote to individuals who die from overdoses, and that she would combat in opposition to efforts to ascertain authorized websites the place folks may use medicine underneath medical supervision.
“Secure injection websites is a misnomer,” she mentioned. “You don’t help somebody who’s scuffling with dependancy by aiding and abetting. I imagine that no matter sources would go into such websites must be diverted as a substitute to remedy, to truly assist these folks — to not attempt to kill them.”
This phase airs on February 6, 2025. Audio shall be out there after the published.
