‘False narratives': Mass. US attorney blasts Boston Mayor Wu over remarks on ICE
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley sharply criticized Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in a video released Wednesday morning, accusing Wu of creating 'false narratives' about the mission of federal immigration enforcement.
The video is a response to comments Wu made during The WBUR Festival this weekend, where she labeled Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, 'secret police.'
'Every aspect of what's happening at the federal level is causing harm in our local communities,' Wu said. 'People are terrified for their lives and for their neighbors, folks getting snatched off the street by secret police who are wearing masks, who can offer no justification for why certain people are being taken and then detained.'
But Foley, who was appointed by President Donald Trump's administration in January, shot back forcefully in the recorded statement, which came just days after she and other federal officials announced the arrest of nearly 1,500 people in Massachusetts.
Foley called Wu's comments 'reckless and inflammatory.'
'Referring to federal agents as 'secret police' is offensive,' Foley said in the video posted to X. 'There are no secret police. ICE agents, along with other federal law enforcement partners, are making immigration arrests. That is no secret. They are arresting individuals who are here illegally, which is a violation of federal law.'
'Every enforcement action is conducted within the bounds of the Constitution and our laws with oversight, legal justification and accountability. To claim otherwise is a gross misrepresentation and a disservice to the public,' Foley continued.
Foley repeated a claim made during the Monday press conference about the arrests, saying ICE agents are wearing masks to cover their faces for fear of their personal information being leaked online. She blamed Wu and others for spreading 'false narratives' about the agency's mission.
Wu's claim that people are being 'snatched' off the street is 'offensive,' Foley said.
'On the contrary, every arrest or detention is pursuant to and sanctioned by federal law,' she continued. 'The U.S. Attorney's Office stands in support of our federal law enforcement partners, whose mission it is to protect the residents of Massachusetts, regardless of the noise being generated by politicians who either do not understand federal law or simply believe our nation's immigration laws should not be enforced. We will not apologize for doing our job.'
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Military officials say the facility has been holding an average of 150 undocumented immigrants each day over the last several weeks — a fraction of its 2,500 beds. On one recent day, they said, the facility housed fewer than 80 people. Pentagon officials are asking to cut the number of beds in the facility from 2,500 to about 1,000, which they say would save $12 million per month. It is not clear if the DHS request for National Guard troops will increase the need for beds in the El Paso facility. The DHS request also comes as the Pentagon is struggling to fund critical projects to support U.S. troops. 'Congress is aware that the department is redirecting funds from existing military construction projects like barracks improvements for lower enlisted personnel and longstanding infrastructure projects elsewhere in the world in favor of southwest border missions,' a Senate aide who spoke on condition of anonymity told NBC News. 'They are pretty frustrated with the way that the department is ordering them to support DHS out of their own pockets for a grossly disproportionate cost compared to what ICE facilities would cost the government,' added the aide, referring to military officials. Last month, the Pentagon notified Congress that it planned to transfer more than $1.74 million in the current DOD budget to the southwest border mission, as step that will take money away from renovating barracks and base facilities. Service member advocacy groups have criticized the move. Rob Evans, the founder of Hots&Cots, where services members can post reviews of barracks, dining areas and other facilities, says he sees evidence daily of barracks with sewage leaks, mold, failing HVAC systems, and more. 'When funding is pulled from this line, troops pay the price in real ways: delayed repairs, worsening conditions, and a growing sense that their well-being comes second to optics and operations,' Evans said. 'Service members deserve clean, safe, and dignified living conditions. They've earned at least that much.' This article was originally published on
