I write in response to your letter of August 13, 2025, threatening to prosecute local officials and illegally withhold federal grants and contracts unless the City of Boston agrees to actively participate in mass deportations. This federal administration's false and continuous attacks on American cities and millions of our residents are unprecedented. You have eliminated health care and food assistance for our families; unlawfully cancelled grants for our schools and roads; slashed funding for our universities, hospitals, and research institutions; and deployed military personnel to occupy our streets. These attacks all come back to a common aim: the Trump Administration seeks to divide, isolate, and intimidate our cities, and make Americans fearful of one another. The City of Boston is the safest major city in America. Our progress is the result of decades of community policing and partnership between local law enforcement and community leaders, who share a commitment to making Boston a safe and welcoming home for everyone. It is the result of our strong gun laws. And it is the result of our local policies- including the Boston Trust Act, which prohibits local police from engaging with federal immigration enforcement absent a criminal warrant, and which ensures that all Boston residents are able to report crimes and call 911 for help. The City of Boston follows the law-local, state, and federal.
https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/115/056/785/599/545/001/original/4d2991d4c71ecdad.jpg