Gov. Maura Healey decried Trump administration border czar Tom Homan’s “fixation” on Massachusetts on Tuesday, a day after he disclosed that he visited the Bay State final week as federal regulation enforcement brokers arrested 370 people right here.
“I do not know what the fixation is, to be fairly sincere. We’re a really protected state,” Healey informed reporters in a State Home hallway Tuesday afternoon when requested about her perspective on Homan’s go to. “We’re not a sanctuary state. Native, state and federal regulation enforcement proceed to work with and associate with each other.”
Homan, who beforehand vowed to return to Boston, has threatened to carry “hell” to the capital metropolis, which he views as a “sanctuary metropolis” the place native officers don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
A sanctuary metropolis is a metropolis that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement brokers with a view to forestall undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The border czar, who was featured on the Mass. Republican Get together conference in 2022, divulged in a tweet Monday that he traveled to Boston final week, as federal brokers arrested 370 “unlawful aliens” in area. Homan mentioned nearly all of these people have been “important criminals,” together with six international fugitives.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement mentioned brokers additionally focused transnational legal organizations, together with the MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios, and 18th Avenue gangs.
“Governor Healy [sic] and Mayor Wu needs to be ashamed of supporting sanctuary insurance policies,” Homan tweeted.
The Division of Homeland Safety, which retweeted a Fox Information story Tuesday in regards to the Boston arrests, mentioned, “The reckless insurance policies of Sanctuary Cities, like Boston, make America much less protected.”
The mayor has returned to Boston after testifying earlier than a Home committee in regards to the metropolis’s dealing with of migrants.
At a March 5 congressional listening to targeted on so-called sanctuary cities, Wu referred to as Boston “the most secure main metropolis within the nation” and defended town’s strategy to immigrants. Boston’s Belief Act limits native police from working ICE.
As Healey mentioned Tuesday that Massachusetts is not a “sanctuary state,” she argued that “state and native police proceed to cooperate with federal regulation enforcement, federal businesses.”
“As a former lawyer common, I can guarantee you that I am doing all the things I can to help the work of these in regulation enforcement to handle problems with crime in communities,” Healey continued. “I will additionally remind people who Massachusetts is among the many most secure states within the nation, and I will go away it at that.”
The governor identified Massachusetts State Police members have been just lately honored at a Division of Justice ceremony with President Donald Trump and U.S. Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi. Healey mentioned MSP members have been acknowledged “of their work on the investigation and the takedown of the Trinitarios gang.”
“So I am not fairly certain I perceive what is going on on right here,” Healey added.
Border czar Tom Homan says 370 immigrants have been arrested throughout a 5-day operation in Boston and surrounding communities.
ICE mentioned that “many” of final week’s arrests, which spanned March 18-23, got here after “native jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainer requests to show over the offenders and as an alternative selected to launch aliens from custody, forcing officers and brokers to make at-large arrests in Massachusetts communities.”
Republican Rep. Marc Lombardo praised federal enforcement operations on social media Tuesday whereas saying “it is time for a brand new Governor.”
“Thanks to #ICE and @EROBoston for eradicating harmful #legal #illegalaliens off the streets of #Massachusetts,” Lombardo tweeted. “@MassGovernor Healey and Beacon Hill democrats are instantly chargeable for enabling these crimes by way of their sanctuary state insurance policies.”
