Immigration

Wu among 4 mayors invited to testify before Congress over sanctuary city policies

Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., referred to the four cities as standing "out in their abject failure to comply with federal law."

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is being called on to testify before Congress as Boston is singled out for its sanctuary city policies, with similar letters going out to four mayors over their jurisdictions' so-called “sanctuary city” status.

As federal agents continue to be seen in raids, Mayor Wu, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston have all been sent a letter inviting them to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next month.

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The letter calls out these cities for their “abject failure to comply with federal law.” Sanctuary cities limit how much their employees can work with federal immigration authorities to deport undocumented immigrants.

Speaking in response to the request Tuesday, Wu seemed poised to push back, standing by her policies and not shying away from a federal fight.

"We will respond in due time," she told NBC10 Boston.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has been called to testify before Congress on the city's policies. Follow NBC10 Boston: https://instagram.com/nbc10boston https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston https://twitter.com/NBC10Boston https://bsky.app/profile/nbcboston.com

"We're very proud of Boston's track record as the safest major city in the country, so we know that what we've been doing here is working," she added.

She said her administration plans to connect with other mayors on these priorities.

"Our teams are in touch with many other cities, I'm in contact with other mayors, we're all experiencing the same sense of chaos and destabilization," she said.

The letter claims sanctuary policies are "misguided" and create obstructions for federal law enforcement. Boston city councilors are split over that framing.

"The congressional members are asking some legitimate questions," Ed Flynn of District 2 said.

"There's a lot of distress in our community right now," said Enrique Pepen, who represents District 5. "We're simply telling our residents that we're here to support you and that there are resources out there."

A sanctuary city is a city that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in order to prevent undocumented immigrants from deportation.

The Committee also requested documents and city communications involved in the policy.

This comes as NBC News has learned ICE made close to 1,200 arrests Sunday alone.

Administration officials and President Donald Trump have stated repeatedly that they would prioritize the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes. However, according to a senior Trump administration official, nearly half of those detained don't have criminal records.

Wu said her office is sifting through the request and weighing whether she will testify.

"We each have our domain, we feel strongly we're on solid legal ground," she told NBC10 Boston.

That Congressional hearing is set for Feb. 11 at 10 a.m.

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