U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary
11/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/02/2026 19:03
Sanctuary City Boston Helping Foreign Criminals Flout Federal Immigration Law: Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released an interim staff report titled, "Boston: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies." The report exposes how Boston's radical sanctuary city policies routinely prevent local local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, even in cases with illegal aliens who are repeat offenders and have violent histories.
The Boston Police Department (BPD) is "prohibited from asking people about their immigration status, sharing information with ICE, making arrests or holding someone based on ICE administrative warrants if there is no other criminal charge, transferring anyone to ICE custody[,] or otherwise 'performing the functions of an immigration officer.'" The Trust Act also prohibits BPD from notifying ICE about an alien's release from BPD custody.
Because of its sanctuary policies, the city has attracted and harbored dangerous criminal aliens from around the world. Data and information provided to the Committee and Subcommittee show that in the first 10 months of 2026, Boston law enforcement encountered illegal aliens from Colombia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, China, Morocco, and Venezuela. The aliens for whom ICE placed detainers included numerous foreign nationals with final removal orders and previous criminal history, including criminal convictions.
Despite Boston's attempts to keep the extent of its pro-criminal alien policies shrouded in secrecy, data provided to the Committee and Subcommittee reveal that in 2026 alone, the BPD has received 54 detainers and has not honored one. Since 2021, BPD has not transferred a single foreign national criminal to ICE custody based off an ICE detainer.
As Boston residents feel unsafe in their own city, state and local sanctuary laws force law enforcement officers to release dangerous criminals back onto Boston streets where they are free to reoffend. Even worse, the Boston City Council has voted to keep the full detainer-related information, including the criminal histories of the aliens for whom the detainers were placed, hidden from the public. While sanctuary cities continue to shield criminal aliens from accountability for their crimes, the Committee will continue its oversight into sanctuary jurisdictions that prioritize the comfort of illegal alien criminals over the safety of U.S. citizens.
Read the full interim staff report here.
The Boston Police Department (BPD) is "prohibited from asking people about their immigration status, sharing information with ICE, making arrests or holding someone based on ICE administrative warrants if there is no other criminal charge, transferring anyone to ICE custody[,] or otherwise 'performing the functions of an immigration officer.'" The Trust Act also prohibits BPD from notifying ICE about an alien's release from BPD custody.
Because of its sanctuary policies, the city has attracted and harbored dangerous criminal aliens from around the world. Data and information provided to the Committee and Subcommittee show that in the first 10 months of 2026, Boston law enforcement encountered illegal aliens from Colombia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, China, Morocco, and Venezuela. The aliens for whom ICE placed detainers included numerous foreign nationals with final removal orders and previous criminal history, including criminal convictions.
Despite Boston's attempts to keep the extent of its pro-criminal alien policies shrouded in secrecy, data provided to the Committee and Subcommittee reveal that in 2026 alone, the BPD has received 54 detainers and has not honored one. Since 2021, BPD has not transferred a single foreign national criminal to ICE custody based off an ICE detainer.
As Boston residents feel unsafe in their own city, state and local sanctuary laws force law enforcement officers to release dangerous criminals back onto Boston streets where they are free to reoffend. Even worse, the Boston City Council has voted to keep the full detainer-related information, including the criminal histories of the aliens for whom the detainers were placed, hidden from the public. While sanctuary cities continue to shield criminal aliens from accountability for their crimes, the Committee will continue its oversight into sanctuary jurisdictions that prioritize the comfort of illegal alien criminals over the safety of U.S. citizens.
Read the full interim staff report here.
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