(The Lion) — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is facing criticism for comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement officers to neo-Nazis.
After ICE detained about 1,500 illegal immigrants in Massachusetts in May, the sanctuary city mayor said its officers resemble neo-Nazis more than police since they both wear masks.
“I don’t know of any police department that routinely wears masks,” Wu told reporters last week. “We know there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC 131 routinely wears masks. What I said is that Boston police and no police department that I know of at the local level routinely wears masks.”
NSC stands for Nationalist Social Club. It is a fringe group of neo-Nazis in Massachusetts; 131 is alphanumeric coding for Anti-Communist Action.
The rapid response team in President Donald Trump’s White House slammed the liberal mayor’s remarks.
“The streets of Boston and the surrounding area are safer today thanks to the men and women of ICE,” it posted on X. “Mayor Wu’s disgusting demonization of ICE agents is part of the reason why they’re seeing a massive uptick in doxing, assaults and death threats. She should be ashamed of herself.”
Meanwhile, acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons called Wu’s comments “disgusting.”
“I used to say I was pretty disheartened by the political rhetoric, but I’ve totally changed to, it’s outright disgusting,” Lyons told reporters. “What Mayor Wu said is completely disgusting. She actually compared us to a neo-Nazi group. And here I am on [June] 6 where many of the men of ICE — brave men and women that were veterans — on the great day in military history when we defeated the Germans and the Nazi Party, we have elected officials comparing the brave men and women in law enforcement to Nazis.”
Additionally, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley had a problem with Wu’s statement.
Federal law enforcement officers wear masks to protect themselves – because of people like Wu, she said.
“Federal agents in marked jackets and vests are masking their faces because people like Mayor Wu have created false narratives about their mission,” Foley said. “Federal agents and their children are being threatened, doxed and assaulted. That is why they must hide their faces.”
The Trump White House also issued an official statement criticizing Wu’s comments.
“If the mayor had any shame, she’d be embarrassed for fanning the flames of hate while ICE agents face unprecedented threats to themselves and their families — but that’d be asking too much in today’s Democrat Party,” the statement said.
