Boston Mayor Michelle Wu pushed back against Republican lawmakers during a hearing on sanctuary cities while Bostonians on both sides of the argument sounded off at City Hall Plaza.
While Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testified before Congress defending sanctuary city policies, her supporters and her critics both rallied at City Hall Plaza.
The dueling rallies Wednesday pitted those opposed to sanctuary city policies against those in favor.
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"This is literally Boston," said Zygmund Furmaniuk. "This is where protest against authoritarian government was created."
"I think resources in general should be kept by the people that actually earn them," said Boston resident Michael Dorgan.
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The planned rallies took place while Wu had confrontations of her own on Capitol Hill, questioned about police enforcement and funding for programs that benefit undocumented immigrants.
"This country was built on immigrants, we're not against immigrants, we're against people coming here illegally and taking advantage of our country and our systems and committing crimes and hurting people," said Catherine Vitale, who helped organize the anti-sanctuary city rally.
"The things that people fear most is not even just ICE, but everyday folks that hear this message that immigrants can be a target," said Chinese Progressive Association Founder Susane Lee, who brought a group of members to support mayor Wu.
The mayor's campaign rival, Josh Kraft, also showed up to the rally. He called out the Trump administration for its recent directives on immigration.
"I also strongly oppose President Trump's mass deportation plan, and I disagree with Secretary [Tom] Homan's statement talking down about our great city," Kraft said, referring to the border czar's recent vow to bring "hell" to Boston.
But Kraft disagrees on the direction Wu took to prepare for Wednesday's hearing. The mayor's office said it would be paying around $650,000 to an external law firm.
"I would have thought about taxpayers and people struggling in this city," he said.
Clinical professor of law at Suffolk University Ragini Shah explained how the four mayors testifying before the oversight committee in Washington defended their sanctuary policies.
"What they're trying to do is follow their own state municipal laws and trying to create a community of inclusiveness, trying to create communities where people trust the police and then go to the police," she said.
Shah argued that to improve safety, the focus should not be on immigrants.
"If we're talking about safety, let's really talk about policies and not talk about people," she said.
