Trump’s ICE Crackdown Targets Boston Sanctuary Policies, Families Fear/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Immigrants across Boston are facing intensified ICE raids as President Donald Trump escalates enforcement in sanctuary cities under “Patriot 2.0.” Families report arrests near homes, workplaces, and public areas while advocates warn fear is spreading through immigrant communities. The crackdown has drawn support from Republican leaders but sharp condemnation from city officials and immigrant-rights groups.
ICE Crackdown in Boston: Quick Looks
- New Raids: ICE detains immigrants in parking lots, workplaces, and courthouses.
- Operation Patriot 2.0: Follows May sweeps where 1,500 were detained in Massachusetts.
- Community Impact: Families hide at home; events like Everett’s Hispanic Heritage festival canceled.
- DOJ Lawsuit: Trump administration sues Boston and Mayor Michelle Wu over sanctuary policies.
- Supporters: GOP officials, including New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, back crackdown.
- Detention Network: Detainees flown from NH’s Pease airport to jails across New England.
- Collateral Arrests: Noncriminals and asylum-seekers also swept up despite official focus on criminals.
- Community Fear: Hotline flooded with reports; languages from Spanish to Vietnamese needed.
- Advocates Speak Out: Warn raids go beyond “bad actors,” tearing apart families.
- Political Context: Enforcement intensifies as Trump seeks to spotlight immigration before elections.
Deep Look: Trump’s ICE Crackdown Sweeps Boston as Sanctuary Policies Face Pressure
BOSTON (AP) — Federal immigration authorities have launched a sweeping operation across the Boston metro area, detaining immigrants in parking lots, at courthouses, and outside workplaces as the Trump administration intensifies enforcement against so-called sanctuary cities.
Dubbed “Patriot 2.0,” the operation represents one of the most aggressive enforcement campaigns in Massachusetts in years, following a May crackdown that saw nearly 1,500 people detained. Advocates say the surge has sparked widespread fear, pushing families to shelter indoors and disrupting community life.
Visible ICE Presence
Residents report unmarked ICE vehicles idling in immigrant neighborhoods, targeting vans and trucks outside workplaces. One viral video showed agents smashing a truck window to detain three landscapers working at Saugus Town Hall.
The fear has led to cancellations of community events, including Everett’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month festival, with the mayor warning that many residents no longer felt safe attending.
Political Divide Over Sanctuary Policies
The crackdown is backed by Republican officials like New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who has banned sanctuary city policies in her state. ICE has been using a New Hampshire airport to transport detainees from across New England.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has sued Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, and the city’s police over sanctuary laws. Wu accused Trump of “attacking cities to hide his administration’s failures.” She easily won re-election in a primary just days after the raids began, despite Trump repeatedly targeting her for defying federal immigration policy.
ICE Says Focus Is on Criminals
Homeland Security officials insist the surge prioritizes the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” Recent ICE statements highlighted arrests of seven people, including a Guatemalan man previously charged with assault.
“Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but protect them at the peril of law-abiding American citizens,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security assistant secretary.
But ICE has declined to release updated arrest totals since “Patriot 2.0” launched, fueling suspicions that many noncriminals and asylum-seekers are being swept up in collateral arrests.
Detainees Transferred Across New England
ICE relies on a patchwork of facilities across the region — including county jails, the federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, and a privately operated facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
Activists monitoring detainee flights from Portsmouth International Airport say 300 individuals have been flown out since August, with five flights weekly, often with detainees shackled during transport. Protests have erupted outside ICE offices and airports, resulting in multiple arrests.
Fear Grips Families
Community groups report surging hotline calls from immigrants fearing detention while performing routine tasks like picking up children from school or riding public transit.
“Our communities are in hiding,” said Kevin Lam, co-director of Boston’s Asian American Resource Workshop. He noted five Vietnamese residents were detained last week.
Despite the risks, many still go to work: “They say, ‘It is a risk every day when I step out, but I need to provide for my family,’” Lam explained.
Critics: Crackdown Targets More Than Criminals
Republican U.S. Attorney Leah Foley vowed full support for the raids and pledged prosecutions against immigrants violating federal law.
But immigrant advocates argue the sweeps go far beyond criminals. Alexandra Peredo Carroll of the Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice said many being detained are asylum-seekers with pending legal cases.
“The administration is trying to fit folks into a narrative of illegality when in fact, many are going through the legal process,” Carroll said. “Families are being torn apart by arrests of people with no criminal history.”
Sanctuary Cities Under Siege
Boston is not alone. Chicago has also been targeted, with Trump threatening to deploy the National Guard there. Advocates nationwide warn that “Patriot 2.0” could expand into other sanctuary jurisdictions.
For now, the raids are a vivid example of Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy: high-profile crackdowns designed to highlight defiance of sanctuary cities while energizing his base ahead of looming political battles.
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