Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, vowed almost a year ago to bring “hell” to Boston.
The city on a hill is still waiting. But Boston and surrounding communities have also been preparing, pulling together a small army of mayors.
City managers and fellow mayors from Cambridge, Chelsea, Lynn, Newton, and Somerville joined Boston’s Michelle Wu after she signed an executive order directed towards city departments as a response to the deployment of federal immigration agents to Minnesota and Maine. Multiple videos show masked agents violently pulling people out of cars and depict the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“The order directs our team to use every legal avenue to confront these coercive attacks on our cities,” Wu said. “They are trying to do with federal agents what they have failed to do with canceled grants, sham investigations and the National Guard. If we experience the kind of unlawful and unconstitutional invasion we’ve seen in other parts of the country, then Boston will see the administration in court, again.” She then said it in Spanish.
Lynn has followed Boston in banning civil immigration enforcement operations on city property. “We have seen our police headquarters parking lot, our high school sports stadium and even our public cemetery used for these purposes, against the will of our people,” Mayor Jared Nicholson said.
The gathering of mayors and city executives, which came less than a week after Gov. Maura Healey proposed her own executive order and legislation looking to limit ICE activity on state property and inside courthouses, among other locations. As with Healey’s announcement, the municipal leaders were joined by clergy, union chiefs and community activists.
Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson said ICE “invaded and occupied” Minneapolis, where he grew up. “I wish I was back in Somerville dealing with the real issues that my constituents want me working on. We had a big snowstorm. We’re still digging out from that. It’s ridiculous that we are all here having to speak out against such an idiotic approach that we’re seeing from the federal government.”
Calling 911 is the best response to acts such as ICE entering homes without warrants, according to Wu’s order. The Boston Police Department will release body camera footage of violent federal agents, investigate any crimes they commit, and refer cases to state and local prosecutors, Wu said.
“Please do not mistake that anyone here is looking to set up any sort of conflict,” Wu said. “The order specifically has language in there emphasizing that this is about ensuring peace, about de-escalating situations when there might be pressure to escalate from other parties, and that this is not about anything except for following the law. We do not obstruct federal immigration enforcement.”
While Wu said there isn’t information suggesting that a massive deployment will happen tomorrow, she added that ICE activity is still happening here and there. “Even earlier today in the city, as we were coming in, we’ve heard from community members about devastating tactics of people being removed from vehicles, while the vehicles are then still just left running in the street,” she said.
The answer to yesterday’s trivia question: The last close vote for Boston City Council president was in 2014, when Bill Linehan beat out Ayanna Pressley in a 8-5 vote. Keep reading below for some City Hall scuttlebutt, and a reminder that my tipline is always open: gin@massterlist.com.
HAPPENING TODAY
10:00 | Mayor Michelle Wu holds a press conference outlining a progress update on the White Stadium renovation project. | Franklin Park Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive, Dorchester
10:00 | Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the Massachusetts Bankers Association‘s CEO and senior leadership conference | Westin Waltham Boston, 70 Third Ave, Waltham
12:00 | Mayor Michelle Wu will be live on Java with Jimmy. | Website
12:00 | Massachusetts Climate Action Network and Mass Power Forward host a webinar discussing the effects of AI and data centers on environmental justice. Speakers are Vick Mohanka, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club Chapter, and Tristan Thomas, vice president of the MCAN Board and director of policy at Alternatives for Community & Environment. The first hour of the program will include a presentation and Q&A session, followed by an open discussion. | Registration and More Info
12:30 | Mayor Michelle Wu will host a press conference to give an update on the city’s “response following the 8th largest snowfall on record in Boston’s history.” | Public Works Yard, 400 Frontage Road, Boston
POLITICAL INTEL
More than two dozen mayors and municipal managers met behind closed doors Wednesday as part of a “Get Stuff Done Summit,” spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, the former Salem mayor. Held inside the Senate Reading Room, the first-of-its-kind summit featured bold-faced names like Harvard University economist Ed Glaeser and urban planner Jeff Speck, Senate President Karen Spilka, as well as Boston Globe co-owner Linda Henry and returning editor Brian McGrory. “It was a great opportunity to get their insight,” Driscoll said. The half-day summit, which also featured Healey cabinet officials, was partly a boot camp and a learning opportunity for a half-dozen newly elected mayors, and a bid for direct partnerships between municipalities and state officials. “All politics might be local but all progress is municipal,” said Driscoll….
…House Majority Leader Mike Moran stepped in to help quell rumblings of a Boston City Council rebellion. Ousting a City Council president is a tall order – it takes a two-thirds vote – and it’s unclear how many votes were there, but Moran relayed it would be a bad look to seek the removal of Liz Breadon, the first openly LGBTQ woman to serve in the top job. Moran, who like Breadon represents Brighton, did not respond to a request for comment….
…Cape Cod’s Rep. Chris Flanagan is still turning tail when he sees State House reporters. Continuing what he started when he ran afoul of campaign finance regulators in 2024, the Democrat this week exited a meeting with fellow lawmakers on immigration legislation, spotted two reporters making their way towards him, and took off in the other direction. The federal case against him on fraud charges remains in court and a status conference is scheduled for Feb. 23….
…Venture capitalist vs. venture capitalist: Healey economic development chief Eric Paley’s recent comments while on a panel for NAIOP Massachusetts, the commercial real estate group, drew a swift rebuke from Brian Shortsleeve, one of the three candidates jockeying to be the GOP’s nominee for governor. As reported by MASSterList, Paley said Bay State officials are looking for stronger ties globally, and more foreign investment, as the Trump administration has sounded isolationist notes. “Where would you want to launch if you’re in a European country? North Carolina is not that appealing. Massachusetts looks amazing because it is open when the U.S. is overall not.” Shortsleeve argued that Beacon Hill laws and policies are to blame for the state’s high costs of doing business: “If they think it makes sense to cross the Atlantic to save money, why do they need a Competitiveness Council to explain why our companies are taking the I-93 exit ramp to New Hampshire?”….
….Ahead of the Super Bowl and performer Bad Bunny’s halftime show, Emerson College Polling released its first public survey of Puerto Rico. Their survey, conducted in November, asked about the impact of the island native’s music, which has focused on gentrification and gender-based violence. “Among those Puerto Rico residents who listen to Bad Bunny’s music, 54% said that Bad Bunny’s music had a ‘very positive’ (19%) to ‘somewhat positive’ (35%) influence on their views of gentrification,” the polling outfit said in a release. “In addition, 38% said his music had a ‘very positive’ (19%) to “somewhat positive” (18%) influence on their views of gender-based violence.”
FROM BEACON HILL
COST REDACTED: Healey administration officials are refusing to say how much taxpayer money is going into buying up homes in Bourne as part of an effort to make room for a new $2.1 billion Sagamore Bridge. The homes are being seized under eminent domain law. – Boston Globe
SENATE VOTES: The Senate plans votes on what they’re calling consumer protection bills next week. The proposed bills deal with housing discrimination, vehicle sales and repairs, and certified public accountants. – State House News Service
SEASONAL COMMUNITIES: Healey administration officials rolled out new state rules for so-called “seasonal communities” in an effort to help towns under the designation expand year-round housing. – Berkshire Eagle
NEWS NEXT DOOR
DATA CENTER BOOM: Construction on data centers is underway in Texas, Indiana and Louisiana, places with lots of land available, compared to Massachusetts. But Boston-based Suffolk Construction is benefiting, 33 projects in nine states. – Boston Business Journal
AUCHINCLOSS ON MAMDANI: Asked for his opinion on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rep. Jake Auchincloss said he preferred to talk about Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. He also discussed violent ice raids and offshore wind in a wide-ranging interview. – Brookline.News
SCHOOL CUTS: Boston Public Schools may have to cut between 300 to 400 positions as the system faces higher costs, declining enrollment, and a $53 million shortfall. – WBUR
MBTA BUY: The MBTA recently bought a parcel of land close to Red Line tracks on the South Boston-Dorchester line, spending $9.8 million on the former industrial property. – Dorchester Reporter
SPRINGFIELD CONFLICT: Springfield city lawyers say the City Council should rescind a decision on a vacant lot due to concerns over conflicts of interest, and the president, Tracye Whitfield, said she should have recused herself from presiding over a meeting earlier this week. – MassLive
OFFICE SPACE: Vacancy rates in Boston and Cambridge remain high six years after the pandemic. – Boston Business Journal
SIXTH IN ‘26: The race for Seth Moulton’s congressional seat drew in a GOP challenger: Micah Jones, a U.S. army vet and Essex resident. – Salem News
MORE HEADLINES
JetBlue CEO calls Boston a priority market for airline
Frozen Hingham ferry service has led to heated parking situation in Hull
Baystate Health could see $147 million loss
THE SUNDAY SHOWS
NOTE: WCVB’s “On the Record” and NBC Boston’s “@ Issue” shows are taking a break during the Super Bowl and the Olympics, which are broadcast on NBC.