Wu highlighted the Boston Trust Act tthe city was adopted in 2014 which prohibits local police from detaining immigrants for possible deportation by federal authorities unless a criminal warrant has been issued for the person’s arrest.

Despite these guarantees, residents of immigrant communities have been reluctant, in the face of the harsh rhetoric of Trump’s first term, to do even ordinary things, like send their children to school, she said.

“When fear is there, it completely changes the way residents feel comfortable interacting with our school system, with city services, coming to the library, engaging with law enforcement or the first responders,” Wu said. “And that makes everyone less safe.”

The Trusts Act will retain Boston police from participating in any large-scale eviction efforts, she said.

“The idea that some local law enforcement agencies will be required or expected to participate in mass evictions of residents who have not engaged in serious criminal activity simply to fulfill this campaign promise is not something that is possible under current laws. Boston,” Wu said.

When asked whether local laws could prevent federal authorities from carrying out mass evictions within city limits, Wu was circumspect.

“We’re trying to understand, and we’re going to work very closely, we already have conversations planned with those who will know best how to handle each element of scenario planning in this case,” she said.

“I think there are capacity limits at different levels, and part of what was promised (by Trump) relies on the full cooperation of local agencies,” she continued. “Now, in places where that’s not the case, how much more could happen and how much is going to be pushed, we still have other mechanisms where we can identify the spaces that could be most targeted and thinking about protections so we’re currently working through all of that internally And, you know, there’s 69 days until the inauguration, we’re counting down.

In September, a Trump campaign spokeswoman said Trump would “assemble all federal and state powers necessary to institute the largest deportation operation for illegal criminals, drug dealers and human traffickers,” the Associated Press reported.

Trump said he would focus on deploying the National Guard, whose troops can be activated at the governor’s orders. Trump aide Stephen Miller said troops led by sympathetic Republican governors would send troops to neighboring states that refuse to participate.

Former President Barack Obama carried out 432,000 evictions in 2013, the highest annual total since records began. Evictions under Trump never exceeded 350,000 during his first term.

Asked Tuesday to explain Trump’s position increased support last week, even in blue enclaves like Massachusetts, Wu cited the corrosive influence of social media as a factor.

“I think the evolution of social media has been a factor in this,” Wu said. “The fact that one of the biggest platforms is owned by someone, a billionaire, who, in the end, you know, through algorithms and everything else, you couldn’t log into this site without seeing direct political pressure from the owner. …Elon Musk, who will now be very active in setting up the sequel.”

Musk was a vocal campaign surrogate for Trumppouring over $200 million in a Super PAC for his campaign, building a field operation in the crucial state of Pennsylvania, launching his social network, X, behind Trump, and appearing personally with Trump at campaign rallies.

Trump has not announced any formal role for Musk in his second administration.

Materials from the Associated Press were used in this report.

Travis Andersen can be contacted at [email protected].