Boston mayor Wu draws federal backlash for comparing masked ICE agents to neo-Nazis
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is taking heat from federal officials after comparing masked ICE agents to 'secret police' and suggesting similarities to a neo-Nazi group during immigration enforcement operations.
Catch up
The latest rebuke against Wu — who is running for re-election — erupted in late May after she told WBUR that people are 'getting snatched off the street by secret police who are wearing masks and can offer no justification for why certain people are being taken and then detained.' Her comments came amid heightened immigration enforcement operations, including the March arrest of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk by masked, plain-clothed ICE agents in a Boston suburb.
Federal officials defended the mask-wearing practice by highlighting safety concerns. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons told reporters, 'People are out there taking photos of the names, their faces and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves.'
Trending on NextShark:
Escalation of comments
Last week, Wu drew parallels between ICE agents and NSC-131, a New England-based neo-Nazi group. 'I don't know of any police department that routinely wears masks,' she told reporters. 'We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks.' But when pressed on whether she was equating ICE with the organization, Wu declined to directly answer and instead reiterated that local police departments do not routinely wear masks.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security called the comparison 'sickening,' while White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson slammed her broader comments as 'disgusting, dangerous attacks on law enforcement.'
Trending on NextShark:
The big picture
Wu's confrontation with federal authorities builds on her March 5 congressional testimony before a Republican-led House Oversight Committee, where she defended Boston's sanctuary policies by asserting that it is 'the safest major city in the country.'
The mayor shows no signs of retreating. Yesterday, she signed an executive order mandating regular Freedom of Information Act requests for ICE arrest details, saying 'it is our responsibility to make sure that communication between our residents and the city of Boston in every manner is designed to boost trust and boost collaboration.' She also advised border czar Tom Homan to 'take a time out' on ICE operations nationwide.
Trending on NextShark:
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.
Trending on NextShark:
Subscribe here now!
Trending on NextShark:
Download the NextShark App:
Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
26 minutes ago
- USA Today
'Hands are tied': Trump DOJ loses bid to unseal Epstein grand jury testimony
A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's bid to unseal grand jury testimony tied to Florida-based investigations of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A federal judge in Florida rejected a bid from President Donald Trump's Justice Department on July 23 to unseal grand jury testimony tied to a two-decades-old investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department asked the federal court in the Southern District of Florida to release transcripts from grand jury investigations that took place in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 and 2007. However, Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ruled that she doesn't have the power to order the records' release. She said she is bound by a past ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which governs Florida federal courts and only allows for releasing grand jury records in narrow circumstances. "(T)he Court's hands are tied," Rosenberg wrote in the order. The ruling does not apply to separate requests from the Justice Department for the Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury testimony for federal criminal cases filed in that court against Epstein and his associate, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. This is a developing story that will be updated.
27 minutes ago
Judge blocks Trump administration from detaining Abrego Garcia upon his release from custody
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia upon his release from criminal custody in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia has been awaiting his release on bail after pleading not guilty last month to human smuggling charges in Tennessee. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled on Wednesday that the U.S. government "shall restore Abrego Garcia to his ICE Order of Supervision out of the Baltimore Field Office." Judge Xinis also ordered the government to provide written notice to Abrego Garcia and his attorneys if they intend to remove him to a third country. This decision follows a separate ruling in Abrego Garcia's criminal case where U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw denied the government's motion to revoke a magistrate judge's order for Abrego Garcia's release. Judge Crenshaw said on Wednesday that Abrego Garcia "shall be released upon the issuance of the Magistrate Judge's release order with conditions." Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native, was deported in March to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution -- after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he denies. He was brought back to the U.S. last month to face charges in Tennessee of allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the U.S. while he was living in Maryland.
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
Man deported 3 times now convicted after illegal US reentry during Biden admin
A man who entered the country illegally during the Biden administration after being deported three times before was convicted, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced. Santo Beato Aybar-Aybar, 49, was most recently deported on Sept. 21, 2021, but returned without ever being "inspected, admitted or paroled" by federal immigration authorities. The Dominican national was arrested by ICE Boston, and he pleaded guilty in June in federal court. "Santo Beato Aybar-Aybar repeatedly displayed a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws, and that resulted in his conviction for illegally reentering the country after deportation," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a statement on Sunday. "We will not stand idly by as criminals subvert our immigration laws and take refuge in our neighborhoods. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our New England communities." Aybar-Aybar could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of "supervised release" when he is sentenced on Sept. 11. Even after he serves his sentence in prison, he will be deported once again, according to an ICE press release. ICE Boston has been very active under the Trump administration, with federal leaders often going toe to toe with local Democrats. Boston and other cities in Massachusetts are considered sanctuary cities, meaning they have laws that limit local authorities' ability to comply with federal law enforcement on certain immigration-related matters. On July 17, ICE Boston announced another conviction of Guatemalan national Manuel Ruiz-Luis, 52, who was deported in both April 1996 and March 2012, but he came back into the country illegally, and it's unclear when. ICE Boston noted that the man, who was living in New Bedford, was previously criminally convicted for "operating under the influence" and driving without a license four different times. Ruiz-Luis will be sentenced on Sept. 18, and he could face two years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and a year of "supervised release" and will be deported after prison time. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"Furthermore, Ruiz-Luis chose to endanger our law-abiding residents by driving his vehicle under the influence of alcohol. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our New England neighborhoods," Hyde stated.
