BOSTON — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday fired back at President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan, who recently attacked her over her stance on planned mass deportations.
During an interview with Newsmax on Monday, Homan said Wu was “not very smart” after she joined other local democratic officials in vowing to fight Trump’s campaign promise of creating “the largest mass deportation program in history.”
“Well, she’s not very smart, I’ll give her that. President Trump is going to prioritize public safety threats. What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities? I mean that’s your number one responsibility is to protect your communities and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Homan told the news outlet.
Wu, unphased by Homan’s comments, responded in a statement shared with Boston 25 News, saying she has “no intention of rolling out the welcome mat” for Trump’s second administration. She also touted Boston as being the “safest major city in America.”
“They can say whatever they want about me, but our public safety record speaks for itself: Boston is the safest major city in America. Our homicide rates are among the lowest of any city nationally, and gun violence has been at an all-time historic low over the last two years here in Boston,” Wu said in the statement. “This is no coincidence—it’s a reflection of the trust between our residents and our public safety officials and a result of our daily focus on community policing and coordinating city services. We will continue to focus on that work and have no intention of rolling out the welcome mat for them.”
Wu doubled down on her statement when reporters later questioned her about the back-and-forth with Homan.
Homan, who previously served as the acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first administration, advised Wu to either help the incoming administration or “get the hell out of the way.”
Trump recently said on social media that he was planning to declare a national emergency and utilize U.S. military assets to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
Wu has vowed to protect residents by not cooperating with Trump’s plans, as have Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell. State Rep. Stephen Lynch has also said that immigrants are vital to the future of the country.
Homan will likely play a key role in Trump’s campaign pledges to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and mount a massive deportation operation.
Homan also encouraged Wu to read “Title 8, United States Code 1324 III,” which he said states, “You can’t harbor or conceal an illegal alien from federal law enforcement officers.”
“They can not cooperate, but there are certain laws in place that they can’t cross, and I hope she doesn’t cross it,” Homan added.
Boston is one of multiple so-called sanctuary cities in the Bay State.
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