Trump border czar Tom Homan says ICE arrested 370 in Boston and surrounding areas

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's border czar, who promised to "bring hell" to Boston, said in a social media post Monday that ICE arrested 370 immigrants in Boston and surrounding areas over the past week.

He said on X that he traveled to Boston last Tuesday "as promised," kicking off a 5-day operation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service.

He said 370 immigrants were arrested, a majority of whom were "significant criminals." He said the arrests included six foreign fugitives, four of whom were wanted for murder or to serve a criminal sentence for murder. He said others were drug traffickers, child sexual predators or wanted for other "violent public safety threats."

"These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer. They risked their own safety by arresting these criminals on the street, rather than a jail. Governor Healy and Mayor Wu should be ashamed of supporting sanctuary policies," Homan added. "Releasing public safety threats back into the public, rather than working with ICE at the jails, puts the public at great risk. President Trump’s 'all of government effort' to arrest and remove the WORST FiRST is making our communities safer every day. President Trump is a Game Changer who is keeping his promises to the American people. Much more to do, but it will be done!"

FBI Boston via X

FBI Boston via X

Asked Monday about the post, Healey said she hadn't seen what Homan said, but reiterated comments she's recently made, including an interview last week with NBC10 Boston.

"We are not a sanctuary state and we continue to cooperate with local, state and federal law enforcement," Healey said, adding, "I'm not sure what the director's referring to but it's certainly always been our position that those who do things that are crimes, that people who are violent in communities, should be held accountable and taken off the streets."

NBC10 Boston reached out to Wu on Monday for her reaction to Homan's comments.

During her State of the City address last week, Wu directly responded to Homan's proclamation that he was "bringing hell" to Boston because of its status as a "sanctuary city." Sanctuary cities limit cooperation with ICE when it involves people accused but not yet convicted of crimes, following state or local laws that prohibit turning people over to federal immigration authorities merely for lacking legal permission to be in the country.

"Boston is the target in this fight for our future because we are the cradle of democracy, pioneers of the public good, the stewards and keepers of the American dream. We were built on the values this federal administration seeks to tear down," Wu said in her speech. "But for 395 years, come high water or hell — no matter who threatens to bring it — Boston has stood up for the people we love and the country we built, and we're not stopping now."

"Two weeks ago, I went down to D.C. because Congress had some questions about how we do things here in Boston," she added. "Now it might have been my voice speaking into the microphone that day, but it was 700,000 voices that gave Congress their answer: This is our city. No one tells Boston how to take care of our own. Not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings. Boston was born facing down bullies."

ICE also issued a press release Monday with additional details of what they said were a 6-day enhanced enforcement effort. They said the operation targeted "egregious" criminal offenders, "including transnational criminal organizations known to operate in and around Boston and throughout Massachusetts." They said those groups included the MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios and 18th street gangs.

“This week’s enhanced enforcement operations with our partners from the FBI, DEA, ATF, DSS and CBP prove that we are taking a whole of government approach to protecting our communities from foreign nationals involved in transnational gangs, drug traffickers, child predators, violent criminals and dangerous individuals living in New England,” ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael Krol said in a statement. “ICE will use every resource and authority we have to prioritize the safety and security of our communities.”

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ICE said 205 of those arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Six were foreign fugitives facing charges or convictions formurder, drug trafficking, organized crime or money laundering.

Law enforcement officials said they also seized approximately 44 kilograms of methamphetamines, 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms and ammunition from offenders during the operation.