Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued an executive order Feb. 5 set to “protect Bostonians from unconstitutional and violent federal operations” in the midst of ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement conflict.
The order created a list of guidelines for city officials and law enforcement to follow, including the right of the Boston Police Department to investigate potential crimes committed in Boston by federal officials. It gathered public support from officials in Cambridge, Somerville and other towns across the area, as well as UMass Boston chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco.
“In this moment of national crisis, the City of Boston shall continue to prioritize public safety, including protecting residents from violence and ensuring accountability for all those who perpetrate it,” the order states.
The order reinforces the right of city officials to deploy first aid and de-escalate interactions between civilians and federal agents. It also bans federal agents from using city property as a site for their operations and from entering non-public property without a signed judicial warrant, going along with Governor Maura Healey’s Jan. 29 executive order to “prohibit ICE from using state-owned properties for … civil immigration actions.”
“At a time when the White House has wrongly asserted that ICE agents have complete immunity, Mayor Wu makes clear that in Boston, federal agents are not above the law and must follow the same rules as everyone else,” Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, wrote in a Feb. 5 press release. “The measures outlined in this Executive Order are critically important to provide Boston residents with some measure of protection and to make clear to federal agents that they will be held accountable for reckless and lawless behavior.”
Additionally, the Boston city council, led by At-Large City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, proposed a fund Feb. 11 that would provide aid to immigrant families in emergency situations. The fund would be similar to those created during the pause in SNAP benefits last year.
“When federal immigration policy shifts overnight, it affects our neighbors, it affects our residents. And so we have to be prepared,” Louijeune said during the proposal. The fund will later be discussed at a hearing held by the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity and Immigrant Advancement.
The UMass Office of General Counsel issued guidelines in February 2025 for university employees to follow if they receive a request from federal immigration enforcement. According to the information provided, staff are not authorized to “provide information about any University student or employee to any Agent unless OGC has specifically authorized you to do so” or “allow an Agent into any non-public campus space without timely advising your Campus Public Safety or Police Department Police who will then inform OGC of the event.”
Updated UMass system guidelines to match Wu’s executive order have not been issued. The university’s website page on advice for international students states that if students are contacted by federal agents about their immigration status, they should immediately alert International Student and Scholar Services. If taken into custody on UMass Boston campus, students should alert the UMass Boston Police Department dispatch. ISSS is also available to help with legal guidance.
