The raid was the largest ICE arrest on record in Boston and was denounced by residents and local government officials. Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston City Council have expressed strong concern for immigrants within their community, condemned ICE, and upheld laws and programs that help migrants. Boston has been considered a “sanctuary city” since the Trust Act was passed in 2014. A few months prior, the Department of Justice sued Boston over the city’s immigration policies, targeting the Trust Act as “obstructionist.”In a city with around 182,000 immigrants and roughly 82,000 international students, Boston City Council continues to believe that protecting immigrants makes the community stronger. We understand the anxiety that national rhetoric can create, but Boston remains steadfast in its values,” Boston City Councilor-At-Large Henry Santana said in a statement to The Beacon.