‘False narratives': Mass. US attorney blasts Boston Mayor Wu over remarks on ICE
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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Politico
32 minutes ago
- Politico
Why Jeffries' redistricting idea is so unlikely in NJ
Good Wednesday morning! Last week, CNN reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was looking to several Democratic states, including New Jersey, for potential mid-decade redistricting to counter the move to redraw the map in Texas to further favor Republicans. But by the time the report surfaced, it was probably already too late in New Jersey. This would have been difficult no matter what. New Jersey's Constitution mandates that congressional redistricting takes place after the Census conducted at the beginning of each decade. To change that, you'd have to change the Constitution. To guarantee a favorable map for Democrats, you'd also have to change the constitutionally assigned system from a redistricting commission with equal party representation and a tiebreaker to one that favors Democrats. It is, of course, possible to change the state Constitution. Democrats have slightly more than the three-fifths majorities they need in both houses to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November. But even if they were to get all their members on board with the plan — far from a given — I still doubt they'd be able to pull it off. The state Constitution requires constitutional amendments be published in newspapers in each county 'not less than three months prior to submission to the people.' Notwithstanding the dearth of newspapers, that makes the deadline Aug. 4, according to the Division of Elections, which I trust more than myself to do the math. But even if Democratic leaders got virtually all their members to come back from vacation and support an amendment before Aug. 4, they still likely wouldn't be able to get it on the ballot in time to affect the 2026 midterms. The constitution requires lawmaker to wait at least 20 days following an amendment's introduction, then hold a public hearing, before they can vote on it. I'm no lawyer or constitutional scholar, so I called law professor Ronald Chen, who's also worked on congressional and state redistricting commissions. And he agreed there's no way to do it in time for the Nov. 4 general election. Chen noted one possible way to do it: If the Legislature passes a law to delay the general election. And Democrats did delay the primary a week so as not to conflict with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. But this would require an election delay of at least three weeks. And given that Democrats already have a friendly congressional map with very few options to gain more than the nine seats they hold, it seems like an extraordinarily unlikely gambit. But perhaps there's a way for Gov. Phil Murphy fire the First Assistant Constitution and replace it with an Acting Constitution. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ SHOW ME THE WAY: Acting Gov. Way has no public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'This is smart. As things stand, McGreevey is on track to be the next mayor. 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During a public meeting on Monday night, several residents accused Councilman Christopher Allen, 24, of doxxing addresses. … The controversy began on July 19 when Allen posted images on Facebook showing front yards with campaign signs for council candidate Josh Johnson alongside American flags hung in a distress-signal style. In his post, Allen explained that he was highlighting disrespect to the national symbol. … Days after the social media post, Allen introduced a resolution requiring the United States flag be prominently displayed in all municipal building meeting rooms and mandating the pledge of allegiance as the first order of business for any public meeting performing governmental duties … Currently, the Belvidere Community Center and Pool Committee, where Allen serves as council liaison, do not regularly read the pledge of allegiance at meetings.' LIKE ERASING HISTORY WITH LIGHTNING — 'New Brunswick will rename Woodrow Wilson school to 'better reflect the community',' by MyCentralJersey's Cheryl Makin: 'The Board is Education is seeking nominations to help rename Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, named for the 28th president who is said to have had questionable ties to the Ku Klux Klan and racist leanings. On the heels of Princeton University, where Wilson served as its president for from 1902 to 1910, Monmouth University and the Camden School District which all have erased his name from buildings, New Brunswick Public Schools is seeking the same change 'that would better reflect the community.'' TOWN HALL EMPLOYEES GET SURPRISE INVITATION TO TURKISH BATH WITH PAULIE WALNUTS — 'Are there rats in Brick Town Hall?' by Jersey Shore Online's Bob Vosseller: 'Usually when someone says there are rats in town hall it is meant as an insult aimed at those serving in public office but recently that question has come up in a more literal sense. Mayor Lisa Crate and Business Administrator Joanne Bergin both told The Brick Times that despite commentary to the contrary by township employees, there is no rat infestation within Town Hall located at 401 Chambers Bridge Road. Bergin didn't rule out that a mouse might have found its way into the building that was built in the 1970s. 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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
How ICE is using the LAPD to track down immigrants for deportation
When Los Angeles police arrested Jose Juarez-Basilio in March on suspicion of threatening his ex-wife's new romantic partner, he was released after spending less than 24 hours in jail. The short stay behind bars was all it took to trigger his deportation roughly three months later. Even though no charges were filed against Juarez-Basilio, the seemingly routine run-in with police put the 35-year-old undocumented Mexican man on the radar of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which tracked him down and removed him from the country. For months, L.A. Police Department leaders have gone out of their way to reassure the public that the department has strict limits on cooperating with immigration officials. But the case of Juarez-Basilio and several dozen others identified in federal court records show how L.A. police are nevertheless enabling ICE to find new targets by routinely sharing fingerprints with federal law enforcement. The basic question for the LAPD of what it means to cooperate with immigration authorities has taken on fresh urgency amid the Trump White House's continued crackdown across the region. Hundreds of people have been detained in raids by masked ICE and Border Patrol agents, triggering protests and an ongoing court battle over the use of so-called 'roving patrols' to indiscriminately round up suspects. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has frequently pointed to a longstanding policy known as Special Order 40, which bars officers from stopping a person for the sole purpose of determining their immigration status. The policy, implemented in 1979, seeks to assure the city's growing immigrant community that they can come forward as witnesses or victims of crimes without fear of deportation. But given how complicated the country's immigration landscape has grown in the half century since, it's time that the LAPD took steps beyond the policy, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez said. 'I thought Special Order 40 was the right thing to do at that time,' he said in a recent interview. 'Do I think it meets the moment right now? Of course not.' Of particular concern, he said, is the LAPD's handling of data collected from automated license plate readers, devices deployed around the city that track the movements of vehicles. Police officials have insisted that the information is not shared with ICE. But other local law enforcement agencies have flouted their own similar rules in the past, raising concerns that the LAPD may not keep its word. 'If there is even the slightest possibility that the LAPD is sharing any data with ICE,' then the city needs to take a look at such loopholes, Soto-Martinez said. This month, Mayor Karen Bass ordered the creation of a working group to examine — and possibly update — the LAPD's immigration policy. At a news conference, McDonnell said he believed that Special Order 40 still achieved its original mission of building public trust. 'We can't be effective if people are not willing to come forward and report crimes that they're a victim of or a witness to,' he said. But the chief reiterated that his officers would not interfere with federal law enforcement operations — even if they violate a recent court injunction that temporarily blocked federal agents from racial profiling. If Angelenos had concerns, he said, they could file complaints with the feds or pursue other legal remedies. In a city whose population is more than half Latino, that stance is wearing thin with critics who claim that the department is tacitly supporting ICE by providing crowd control when raids draw angry protesters. 'You can't go through something like this for a month and expect the public to trust any law enforcement that participates in this,' said longtime civil rights attorney Connie Rice. 'The immigrant community is asking: 'Aren't you supposed to be protecting us?'' Juarez-Basilio's case shows how the LAPD indirectly enables ICE to conduct deportations even while abiding by Special Order 40 and officially staying out of immigration enforcement. Records show he was taken into custody March 23 on suspicion of making criminal threats. Court filings describe an incident in which he was accused of holding an unknown object under his T-shirt while menacing his ex's new partner. When Juarez-Basilio was booked into a San Fernando Valley jail and fingerprinted, it pinged the Pacific Enforcement Response Center, an ICE facility in Orange County. Court records show an ICE agent investigated Juarez-Basilio and learned that he had been deported three times previously and illegally reentered the country, which is a federal crime — not just a violation of civil immigration laws. Juarez-Basilio posted bond and was released before ICE agents could arrest him. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined to file charges, citing a lack of evidence. ICE agents were waiting to take him into custody after a hearing in federal court last month. He was one of at least 30 people arrested by the LAPD in recent months who were subsequently detained by immigration agents for illegal re-entry after deportation, according to a review of criminal court filings. In Juarez-Basilio's case and several others, charging documents make no mention of past criminal behavior apart from their border crossings. In a handful of cases, the people arrested had prior convictions for violent felonies. In several others, the LAPD alerted federal authorities to felony arrests, as in the case of two United Kingdom citizens who were arrested for possessing guns after being pulled over in Hollywood in late June for failing to halt at a stop sign in a black Rolls-Royce. Both men had overstayed their visas, court records show. Police in some states, mostly in the South, have for years assisted ICE by handing over jail inmates accused of immigration violations. Trump has threatened to cut off federal funding to cities such as L.A. that refuse total cooperation on immigration enforcement. Christy Lopez, a Georgetown Law professor who once worked for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, said cities that defy Trump face a choice. Refusing to back down risks losing federal funds. It also imperils cooperation with agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations, which sometimes partners with local law enforcement to take down drug cartels, prevent terrorism and investigate other major crimes. Such ties are only expected to grow tighter with L.A. set to host the 2028 Olympic Games. But working closely with the feds in this moment risks damaging hard-earned trust in vulnerable immigrant communities where people already are wary of cooperating with police, Lopez said. 'You cannot keep a city safe if a large swath of its population doesn't trust the police,' she said. Earlier this year, the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a prominent watchdog group, sent a letter to the city's Police Commission warning that information collected by LAPD officers during routine pedestrian and traffic stops is flowing into massive databases — where they can be mined by immigration authorities to aid in tracking down a wanted person. 'Immigration enforcement can't happen without a vast network of local police and prosecutors who serve as the federal government's eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring that any person booked into custody for any arrest — no matter how trivial and no matter if ultimately false or thrown out in court — is immediately put on ICE's radar,' the letter said. Since it was enacted nearly 50 years ago, Special Order 40 has faced repeated attacks both from factions within the LAPD as well as anti-immigration activists who have challenged it on constitutional and practical grounds, saying it gives a free pass to criminals in the country illegally. Stephen Downing, a former LAPD deputy chief who helped draft Special Order 40, said that it was intended as more of a 'law enforcement tool' to address the city's encroaching gang violence than a means 'really to protect immigrants from immigration.' 'It recognized that these people were in the community, they were part of the community, and we needed them for crime control. We needed them to report crime,' said Downing. 'It wasn't so altruistic as it may have seemed at the time.'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Two top Biden aides set to testify in probe of Biden mental decline
Two more of Joe Biden's top White House aides are set to appear before the House Oversight Committee for scheduled interviews this week as part of the Republican-led panel's intensifying investigation into the former president's cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. The committee has scheduled interviews with former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and former senior adviser Mike Donilon for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. In a departure from some previous high-profile witnesses, the two have signaled they will voluntarily sit for them. As of Tuesday afternoon, the committee had not issued subpoenas compelling their appearances. Several Biden aides have declined to cooperate with the committee's investigation, prompting the panel to subpoena their appearances. They then invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the closed-door meetings. Earlier this month, three Biden aides – White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office operations Annie Tomasini – pleaded the fifth in the face of questions from the panel. Invoking the Fifth Amendment is typically done to avoid answering specific questions, and though it can be perceived by the public as a way of avoiding accountability, the US Supreme Court has long regarded the right against self-incrimination as a venerable part of the Constitution. Still, a number of Biden aides have sat for voluntary sat for interviews with the panel. Former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain, for example, told the committee last week that Hillary Clinton had expressed concerns to him in 2023 that Biden's age was an issue the campaign hadn't dealt with effectively, and that national security adviser Jake Sullivan told him in 2024 after the presidential debate that Biden wasn't as effective as he once had been, a source familiar with the matter previously told CNN. Klain told the committee that he believed Biden had the mental sharpness to serve as president and he saw no reason to doubt Biden's mental acuity, another source said. A Clinton spokesman did not dispute Klain's account, but said Clinton was concerned with how the question of Biden's age was being handled politically in light of the attacks and questions he was facing. As with Klain, Neera Tanden, the former White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Ashley Williams, former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office Operations, sat for transcribed interviews. According to a source familiar with her interview, Williams told the committee she believes that Biden was in command the night of the debate and was fit to be president, including now. The source said Williams stated she 'did not recall' many times during her five-hour interview to several questions, including whether teleprompters were used for Cabinet meetings, if there were discussions about Biden using a wheelchair, if there were discussions about Biden undergoing a cognitive test, if she discussed Biden declining physically or mentally, if she ever had to wake Biden up, and how she got involved in his 2020 campaign. The source said that Williams would not say a good memory was an important trait for working at the White House. An attorney representing Williams did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening. The committee is expected transcribe interviews with additional high-level aides next week, including with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed on Tuesday and former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn on Thursday. Other former aides expected to testify in the coming months include: former special assistant to the president and senior adviser in the White House Counsel's Office Ian Sams on August 21; former deputy assistant to the president and senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates on September 5; former assistant to the president and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on September 12; and former chief of staff Jeff Zients on September 18. Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
