Tom Homan, border overseer for the Trump administration, declared his intense motivations in February to confront Boston, which is considered one of many sanctuary cities within Massachusetts. His declarations were not idle threats. Driven by the refusal of local officers to assist, Homan addressed the Boston Police Commissioner, Michael Cox, in no uncertain terms.
“The Police Commissioner of Boston, you pledged your resolution to resist collaboration with ICE’s law enforcement officers,” Homan declared. “I am on my way to Boston and what I bring with me will not be taken lightly.” “You no longer serve as a police commissioner. Take the badge from your uniform, stow it away in your desk drawer,” he recommended. “You have transformed into a political figure. You have lost the essence of being a police officer.”
Following these declarations, merely a month later, several federal departments completed an operation that witnessed the detainment of approximately 370 individuals, categorized as criminal illegal aliens, situated within Boston city limits. However, the story didn’t end there.
The following Monday, ICE publicized the successful capture of nearly 1,500 individuals during the entire month of May, conducted under an operation specifically targeting transnational organized crime, gangs, and severe violations of immigration laws throughout the entirety of Massachusetts. This operation, named ‘Operation Patriot’, acquired individuals who had inflicted harm on innocent civilians and generated fear within communities such as perpetrators of murder, sexual assaults, drug dealings, child exploitation, and members of violent international criminal gangs.
Tom Hodgson, the former Bristol County Sheriff, who had previously worked in collaboration with Homan on immigration matters, stated, “In Massachusetts, I believe you’re likely to witness more actions of this nature.”
“The particular circumstances initiated by Governor Maura Healey in Massachusetts present a prime condition for such operations,” Hodgson commented. His observations included, “We have a governor who has actively invited individuals to settle here,” and he added, “This is the ideal location for ICE operatives, due to the governor’s efforts to provide shelter and assistance to these individuals in the neighborhoods, specifically for those classified as criminal illegal aliens.”
Hodgson expressed his expectation of witnessing Homan’s intensified presence within Massachusetts. He assigned responsibility for the migrant crisis within the state to Governor Healey. “Attempts to shift blame to Washington are futile. She must acknowledge her own role,” Hodgson mentioned.
He criticized the governor’s role by saying, “You are not employed to service the demands of activist groups. Your duty is to serve the populace.” “She has triggered this situation and now wishes to divert the blame elsewhere,” Hodgson noted.
Furthermore, Hodgson warned that, “The residents of Massachusetts are growing increasingly irritated, and they will take decisive action in the upcoming elections.”
Consequently, under the collaborative efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and related law enforcement bodies, a total of 370 individuals classified as “alien offenders” have been apprehended, as a result of an intensified operation within Massachusetts. Among these arrests was a man from New Bedford, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
This entire situation elucidates the tension and aggressive procedures that the Trump administration, represented here by Tom Homan, were willing to execute against sanctuary cities such as Boston. It also reveals the friction and lack of assistance received from local administration and law enforcement.
Homan’s confrontational declarations and the subsequent successful operations in Massachusetts cannot be looked at in isolation. They are signs of bigger nationwide strategies and actions taken to handle questions of immigration and law enforcement.
The decisions and positions of officials such as Governor Maura Healey, are not without consequences. Highlighted by Hodgson, these decisions have led to ripple effects that are now openly contested, and for which blame has been clearly directed.
Massachusetts, through this lens, can be seen as a microcosm of the broader national debate and action regarding immigration policies and measures. For some like Hodgson, it is a place where the failings and detriments of providing sanctuary are playing out.
Ultimately, the enforcement of laws and safeguarding of communities remain paramount for law enforcement agencies such as ICE. For them, sanctuary cities like Boston are places where illegal activities are seen to be abetted by local administrative decisions.
This narrative serves to highlight the growing friction between ideologies on immigration. The reactions of Massachusetts residents in future elections may very well serve as an indication of the public sentiment on these matters.
The post Trump Administration Takes on Sanctuary Cities: The Boston Case appeared first on Real News Now.
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