BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu criticized President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., after he threatened to target other cities with a military presence.
Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital have started carrying firearms at the direction of Trump, who has indicated that other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, and New York, might be potential next cities for troop deployment.
While Trump has made no mention of Boston seeing troops in the future, the deployment in D.C. comes amid ongoing disputes between Massachusetts and the White House over issues such as immigration and federal funding.
Healey and Wu on Monday expressed concern about the implications of federal actions for cities like Boston, particularly regarding the deployment of armed National Guard troops.
“If Donald Trump really cared about public safety, he wouldn’t be cutting funding for local law enforcement, which he’s done,” Healey said. “He wouldn’t be cutting funding for community policing, which he’s done.”
Wu added, “Our city represents everything that showcases why they’re wrong. They’re wrong on the law, they’re wrong on safety.”
Trump has openly talked about his desire to expand his use of military forces to target local crime, calling Chicago a “mess” and saying residents there are “screaming for us to come.”
Chicago and Boston recently landed on the Justice Department’s published list of 35 “sanctuary jurisdictions," and the Trump administration has threatened to cut off federal funding over sanctuary policies.
Wu has defended Boston’s sanctuary policies, asserting they do not hinder immigration enforcement.
“We will not back away from our community that has made us the safest major city in the country and a leading example of why cities around the country make this country safer, healthier, and more prosperous for all Americans,” Wu said last week.
U.S. District Judge William Orrick recently extended a preliminary injunction that prevents the federal government from withholding funds from sanctuary jurisdictions.
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