The nation’s best law enforcement official is giving Boston and other so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” several days to explain how they intend to eliminate any impediments to federal immigration enforcement.
After last week identifying 35 “sanctuary jurisdictions” — places where local laws limit cooperation with federal immigration agents on deporting undocumented immigrants — Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to the leaders of most of those states and cities on Wednesday, telling them they have until Tuesday to confirm a commitment to compliance and any steps being taken to eliminate laws that impede federal actions.
The letters didn’t identify what penalty the communities, which include three New England states — Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont — would face if they didn’t comply, noting only that more action was possible.
“You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States. This ends today. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement. This letter does not constitute final agency action and nothing in this letter creates any right or benefit enforceable at law against the United States,” the letters read.
Bondi elaborated on the letters during an interview on Fox News on Thursday night: “I sent out letters to all of these mayors and to the governors, saying, ‘You must comply. We want to know what you’re doing to comply with our federal government.’ So we’re going to see. I’ll let you know how they respond.”
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office for comment.
She’s previously testified about the city’s policies before Congress, insisting that policies limiting interaction with federal law enforcement don’t violate federal laws but do promote trust and safety in the community.
Read AG Bondi’s letter to Boston’s Mayor Wu:
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong reacted to the state’s letter Friday, saying his office received it but calling it false that the state has “sanctuary policies.”
“Any claim or suggestion that Connecticut has violated or is not in compliance with federal law is false. Connecticut is prepared to pursue all legal rights and remedies to defend our sovereignty and the people and families of Connecticut from federal overreach,” Tong said in a statement.
A sanctuary city is a city that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in order to prevent undocumented immigrants from deportation.
The list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” was released in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April. The Justice Department also last week released its criteria for inclusion on the list, and said it will be updated as federal authorities gather additional information. They also said they will work with any jurisdiction that wants to be removed from the list to “identify and eliminate their sanctuary policies, so they no longer stand in opposition to federal immigration enforcement.”
The Department of Homeland Security published a similar list back in May, but removed it days later following widespread criticism for including some areas that have actively supported the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Massachusetts was one of the states included on the initial list but was not named in the list released Tuesday. The initial list included 12 Massachusetts cities, but the new one only includes Boston.
“Boston follows all the laws, so to say we’re on a list of cities that doesn’t follow federal law is just false,” Wu said in May when the first list was released.
The Department of Homeland Security is set to notify Boston and dozens of other New England cities that they will face further action if they don’t comply with federal immigration law — which Mayor Michelle Wu said the city does indeed do.
About the Author
