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Wu reportedly wants to testify before congress on immigration policy, but needs more time
Mayor Michelle Wu was asked to testify Feb. 11 in Washington, D.C., about Boston's so-called "sanctuary" policies.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday that she plans to comply with an invitation to testify before congress about Boston’s “sanctuary policies.” But she is hoping to be given more time to make the trip to Washington, D.C., as she recovers from giving birth to her third child last month.
Wu would like to participate, she told The Boston Globe.
“The timeline is quite fast, especially in my personal circumstance of just having given birth not too long ago and sort of staying in touch with my doctor about what makes sense from a recovery perspective,” she said, per the Globe.
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Wu gave birth on Jan. 13. She is not taking an official leave of absence and has largely been working from home. The mayor returned to City Hall to attend a cabinet meeting in person last week. She was asked to testify on Feb. 11.
As the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement nationwide, so-called “sanctuary cities” like Boston are being scrutinized by the federal government.
The “sanctuary” term does not have one official definition but is generally used to describe jurisdictions with laws that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Boston’s Trust Act, which was originally enacted in 2014 and reaffirmed by City Council in December, is one such policy.
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Wu has stood by the city’s policies since Trump’s return to office. She said that Trump’s campaign promises of mass deportations were “draconian” and accused the administration of “trying to create drama and fear.”
Chair James Comer of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent letters last month to Wu and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston requesting that they testify before congress.
“These jurisdictions take it upon themselves to decide what laws they will and will not abide by all for the purpose of shielding removable aliens, especially criminals, from federal law enforcement,” Comer wrote to Wu. “Citizens of all four cities have suffered due to sanctuary policies.”
Comer said that the Trump administration could potentially cut off federal funding from jurisdictions that “seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations.”
Wu told the Globe Monday that her administration is working to provide documents that Comer is seeking, and city officials are in talks with those in Washington about extending the timeline and finding a way for Wu to testify in person.
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