Mayor Michelle Wu ready to "stand up for Boston" in testimony before Congress on sanctuary cities
Boston Mayor Michele Wu said she's ready to testify before a congressional panel Wednesday on sanctuary city policies, despite Republican lawmakers already pushing out videos that indicate questions will have an aggressive tone.
Wu ready to testify
"I'm here to stand up for Boston," Wu said Tuesday. "You can put me in any situation, and I will gladly do so with a smile on my face."
At a news conference in Washington, D.C. with city and state leaders in attendance, Wu said she is comfortable with answering tough questions from Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee over the city's policy on not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement actions.
"We are a city that opens our arms and offers our hand when this administration is more interested in turning its back," Wu told reporters.
The mayors of Boston, New YorkNew York, Chicago and Denver received letters from U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-KY) asking them to testify at a hearing in Washington, D.C.
Wu has been preparing for weeks. Her office says prep sessions included staff from the Mayor's Office, Law Department, Boston Police and other senior advisors and leaders from the Cabinet as well as an external law firm, Cahill Gordon and Reindel, which cost the city up to $650,000.
GOP wants accountability
"It's a very serious responsibility; it's a chance to testify before Congress," Wu said. "Our residents back at home have so much more on their plates that they are working for and fighting for and just trying to do right by their families."
The GOP-controlled House Oversight Committee recently released a scathing video on social media ahead of the hearing. Republicans on the Oversight Committee say they want to hold mayors of so-called sanctuary cities accountable because they say they are putting American lives at risk.
"So, I think we may see some members of Congress playing to their partisan base. But I hope that we will really get to the substance of some of the issues," said Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts GOP.
Carnevale takes issue with Boston's standing as a sanctuary city.
"It's basically an open door for immigrants who may have a criminal background that know they are not going to be held to account on ICE detainers or deported," Carnevale said.
Many say Wu's support vital
At La Colabortiva in Chelsea, hundreds come in every day seeking wrap-around services, such as emergency housing and immigration assistance. The organization is one of many that traveled to Washington, D.C. to support the mayor.
"Mayor Wu is brave to represent all of us and to represent sanctuary cities, said Dinanyili Paulino, La Collabortiva's executive vice president. "We all need to stand up for those who have fled their country for a better life."
"I will never back down from an opportunity to defend Boston, to defend our residents," Wu said.
