Mayor Wu says she will testify before Congress on Boston's policy on immigrants

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she does plan to testify before a congressional committee that says it's investigating several places it calls "sanctuary cities."

Last week, Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, of Kentucky, asked Wu in a letter to appear before his House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He said the panel is looking into whether Boston and three other cities are preventing immigration agents from removing "dangerous criminals."

Speaking to reporters Monday, Wu said she is in talks with the congressional panel on when to appear. The letter had announced a hearing date of Feb. 11, but Wu had a baby just weeks ago and is seeking more time.

"The timeline is quite fast," Wu said, noting that she's staying in touch with her doctor "about what makes sense from a recovery perspective." She said standard recovery time after giving birth is six weeks.

Asked if she could opt to attend remotely, Wu said as soon as she's physically ready, "I would be able to then participate in person." She added, "I want to be accommodating and participating however best represents the city."

Wu reiterated that she's proud of Boston's record as the "safest major city in the country. We have a lot to share about what has been working here, and we look forward to being able to get into the details of that."

The Trump administration has promised to ramp up enforcement actions against immigrants without legal standing, and rumors have been fueling fear in migrant communities. The City of Boston has a "Trust Act" that bars police from turning people over to federal authorities solely for immigration violations. However, law enforcement is free to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they seek to detain migrants charged with crimes.

Gov. Maura Healey has repeated that Massachusetts is not a "sanctuary" state and that it obeys the law. ICE and federal prosecutors routinely pursued and announced arrests of migrants charged with crimes here under the Biden administration.