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Mayor Michelle Wu represented Boston well at the ‘sanctuary cities’ congressional hearing, readers say. Here’s why.
“She stood up for the city and refused to cower in the face of threats and smears,” one of more than 1,700 respondents said.
Mayor Michelle Wu testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday, alongside mayors from Denver, Chicago, and New York. Republican lawmakers grilled the mayors of the four cities about their immigration policies and so-called “sanctuary city” status, accusing them of failing to cooperate with federal immigration agents.
Despite being hammered with questions, most Boston.com readers said the mayor represented the city well, and stood up for its values.
In her opening statement, Wu described Boston’s strong immigrant history and roots, and as “a haven for people of all cultures and backgrounds.” She also touted the city’s record-low levels of violence, citing a 40% decrease in homicides in the last two years, and reiterating Boston as the safest major city in the country. She said Boston police collaborate with state and federal law enforcement on criminal matters, adding that BPD enforces criminal warrants against individuals “regardless of their immigration status.”
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She said she was “proud” to vote for the Boston Trust Act, enacted in 2014 and amended in 2019 to establish BPD’s collaboration with federal law enforcement. She made clear that BPD works with federal law enforcement “in every instance” involving individuals who have broken, or are plotting to break, federal criminal law.
“If you commit a crime in Boston, regardless of your immigration status, you will be held accountable. And if you are a violent criminal, you have no place in our community. But without a criminal warrant, BPD has no authority to detain an individual if the court system orders them released,” she said.
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The mayors challenged the idea that immigrants increase crime in a city, or pose a threat to the city’s existing residents, and instead, urged Republican lawmakers to implement concrete policies to make Americans safer.
“If you want to make us safer, pass gun reform, stop cutting Medicaid, stop cutting funds for veterans,” Wu said under questioning from Representative Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona.
The mayors emphasized that their cities follow federal immigration laws, but Republicans repeatedly suggested that they were uncooperative with Donald Trump’s immigration efforts, which include mass deportations. Several Republicans went as far as calling for the mayors to serve jail time for their cities’ immigration policies, which they said they believe violate federal law.
When we asked Boston.com readers if they thought Wu represented Boston well at the hearing, the majority (63%) of the more than 1,700 respondents to our poll said yes, while 37% said no.
Mayor Michelle Wu appeared at a congressional hearing Wednesday over Boston's "sanctuary city" policies. Did she represent Boston well?
Yes
62%
No
37%
Other
0%
Many readers who praised her testimony at the hearing said she stood up for the city and its values, and held fast against the spate of questions.
“She stood her ground and didn’t falter,” Boston.com reader Bryan from Sudbury said.
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Readers who were critical of her testimony said they disagreed with her stance on immigration, and others said they felt the hearing devolved away from discussing “sanctuary cities” to discussing criminal penalties for immigrants.
“It seems like what I’m watching in the hearing only applies to criminals. Much different reality than I expected. I feel a bit misled and disheartened from her testimony,” reader Mateo C. from Chestnut Hill said.
Below, readers share their thoughts on Mayor Michelle Wu’s testimony at the congressional hearing on “sanctuary cities.”
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Did Mayor Michelle Wu represent Boston well in her congressional testimony before the House Oversight Committee?
Yes
“Mayor Wu stated factual information that refutes the mis-information and slander against Bostonians. Boston is an international city with many firsts in the nation. Boston’s not perfect but we are taking definitive steps to improve the lives of all that make Boston their home.” – Johnson, Roxbury
“Mayor Wu was calm and articulate, not relying on half truths and vilification of public officials to make her stance on immigration while in hearing. She didn’t give Republicans in D.C. any big soundbites, either. That’s a huge win, as that’s all they really want out of these ‘hearings.’” – Michael, Melrose
“She stood up for the city and refused to cower in the face of threats and smears.” – Mike M., South Shore
“Strong convictions and backed it up with stats as being the safest city in the country of the US. What other major city or how many other major cities can go against that?” – Dee, Allston
“She has the public record to back up her claims. Lowest crime of any major metro in the country. Most educated population in the country.” – Pancho V., Lexington
“She is uncowed by savage attacks on herself and on Boston.” – Ruth K., Manchester, New Hampshire
“Mayor Wu is intelligent and courageous. She’s willing to speak truth to vicious power.” – Kathleen, Andover
No
“$650,000 to prepare and she can’t answer a question about how much money was spent on caring for undocumented migrants? If she doesn’t track that money she should. She is the steward of our tax dollars. We are facing a budget crisis. We shouldn’t be spending that money to the detriment of our citizens and those who came here legally.” – Martin S., Dorchester
“She’s prioritizing criminals over the safety of law-abiding citizens. There’s a clear difference between criminals and immigrants who came here seeking a better future. Focus on the criminals who threaten everything this country, the city of Boston, and the state of Massachusetts stand for.” – Mario W., Waltham
“Wu prioritizes politics over supporting the Massachusetts citizens she is supposed to serve. She’s out of touch.” – Josh, Cohasett
“She was in way over her head.” – Steve, South Boston
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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