The mayor of one of the country’s most notorious sanctuary cities may soon be complying with new regulations pertaining to illegal immigration.
Here’s how the move could shift blue cites across the country.
According to reports, Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has agreed to testify before Congress as House Republicans and the Trump administration look to investigate major sanctuary cities across the country.
Boston’s Mayor Wu agrees to testify before Congress on sanctuary city status https://t.co/fLd09A0s1I
— masslivenews (@masslivenews) February 3, 2025
In a statement, Wu said she is willing to comply with a request by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to speak about Boston’s sanctuary policies prohibiting cooperating between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
As part of its investigation into several major sanctuary cities, the House Oversight Committee has requested the mayors of Boston, New York City and Chicago to testify before Congress and hand over pertinent documentation.
“We are taking the request very seriously in terms of producing information and being responsive,” Wu said Monday to local outlet MassLive.
“I do plan to and would like to participate, but at a time that would work better and would be more appropriate,” Wu said, citing the recent birth of her child as reason to delay the date to speak before Congress.
“The timeline is quite fast, especially in my personal circumstance of just having given birth not too long ago and sort of staying in touch with my doctor about what makes sense from a recovery perspective.”
House Oversight Chairman James Comer on Jan. 28 delivered letters to Democratic Mayors Eric Adams of New York City, Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Wu of Boston, asking each to hand over internal documentation and communication between staffers and outside personnel relating to their cities’ sanctuary policies.
The requests, Comer said, are part of the committee’s investigation into sanctuary cities.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States and their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws of the United States,” Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, stated in the announcement. “Sanctuary jurisdictions and their misguided and obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe.”
Boston, which recently reaffirmed its sanctuary city status, has repeatedly butted heads with federal immigration authorities.
An ICE spokesperson confirmed to the Boston Herald that the city had ignored a total of 198 immigration detainer requests on illegal migrants who had been charged with “egregious criminal activity” throughout 2024.