Boston Mayor Wu wins preliminary election amid ongoing ICE crackdown

Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston on Tuesday easily came out on top in a preliminary municipal contest to advance to November’s mayoral election, amid a new crackdown in Massachusetts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Voters in New England’s most populous city cast ballots to narrow the mayoral field to two in Democrat-dominated Boston.

Wu, the first woman and person of color elected Boston mayor, faced off against three challengers. Philanthropist Josh Kraft, a fellow Democrat and the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, was expected to also advance to November’s mayoral election.

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is the heavy favorite for re-election as Massachusetts’ most populous city holds the first round of mayoral voting on Tuesday. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The voting came as Wu, who’s seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that “ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May.”

And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, “Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at a press conference outlining the city’s response to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s demand that Boston cooperate with federal mass deportations. (Getty Images/Lane Turner)

Wu, on Monday, pushed back

“They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety,” Wu charged. “This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push.”

And the mayor claimed, “For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer.”

Boston’s Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant.

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The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown.