Lawsuit Alleges City’s Trust Act Unlawfully Obstructs Immigration Enforcement and Endangers Public Safety
The United States government has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, and the Boston Police Department, alleging that the city’s “sanctuary city” policies violate federal law and hinder immigration enforcement efforts.
The complaint, filed on September 4, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, claims that Boston’s ordinance, known as the “Boston Trust Act,” makes it a crime for city law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
According to the lawsuit, the policy “intentionally obstructs” the sharing of information, such as the release dates of individuals in custody, and directs officers to deny federal agents access to removable aliens, even when presented with a valid administrative warrant.
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The filing links the lawsuit to the Trump administration’s broader efforts to address the crisis at the southern border. It highlights the recently enacted Laken Riley Act, which requires federal authorities to detain individuals who are unlawfully present and have committed crimes. The complaint asserts that due to Boston’s policy, many individuals sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for serious offenses—including homicide, assault, larceny, and drug-related crimes—were released directly into the community.
The U.S. government argues that the Boston Trust Act is preempted by federal law under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The complaint also alleges that the city’s policy unlawfully discriminates against and regulates the federal government by treating federal immigration officials differently from other law enforcement partners. According to the document, while Boston enjoys federal cooperation on criminal enforcement, it “expressly shuts out substantially all cooperation with ICE in civil immigration enforcement.”
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The complaint references a history of Boston’s non-cooperation, noting that while the Boston Police Department honored all ICE civil immigration detainers in 2015, they have refused to act on any such requests every year since. A report from Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox is cited, stating that in the most recent year, zero individuals were detained or transferred to ICE custody pursuant to a detainer request.
Boston officials have previously defended the Trust Act as a way to build trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, allowing residents to report crimes without fear of being asked about their immigration status. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment that the Boston Trust Act is invalid and a permanent injunction to prevent the city from enforcing the policy.
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