Boston City Council stated: unanimous vote The city defended illegal immigrants and claimed to reaffirm Boston's “sanctuary city” policy.
All 13 members of the council voted to oppose President-elect Donald Trump's plan to mass deport illegal immigrants to ease the immigration crisis. The resolution says the policy will ensure the city's commitment to diversity.
“We will continue to work with our immigrant neighbors to build a more inclusive Boston even in the face of the threat of mass deportation.”
Former City Councilman Josh Zakim, who authored the Sanctuary City Act, said it was his proudest moment as a local councilor.
“In a time of increasing polarization and hate and hatred, I think it's important to remember what this law does here in the city of Boston,” he said. “This simply ensures that our resources, officers and funds are not used to enforce civil, rather than criminal, violations of federal immigration rules.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have criticized the laws as hindering the deportation of violent criminals who often commit more heinous crimes that could have been prevented with local cooperation.
“It is not the job of the Boston Police Department or any City of Boston agency to expend the city's resources and energy on actions that have been proven time and time again to endanger our safety,” Zakim argued.
City Council President Lousie Louiseune said the city council continues to oppose deportation.
“We will continue to work with our immigrant neighbors to build a more inclusive Boston in the face of the threat of mass deportation,” Louiseune said.
President Trump has made mass deportations a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, despite criticism from the left that such actions are racist and violate humanitarian law. President Trump has argued that mass deportations are necessary after millions of people entered the country illegally under the Biden administration's lax policies.
Boston's sanctuary city policy could run afoul of a recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that sided with King County, Washington, in its attempt to oppose federal deportation efforts.
Boston also has a large community of Irish illegal immigrants. In 2017, Boston's Irish community was shocked when a prominent businessman was arrested by ICE for immigration violations. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 illegal immigrants from Ireland in the United States.
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