Hundreds of supporters and union workers congregated at Boston's City Hall Plaza, rallying against ICE's continued raids in Massachusetts and the apprehension of California SEIU president, David Huerta. The crowd echoed chants compelling the release of Huerta who was arrested during ICE operations in Los Angeles, which led to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in the city over the past weekend, as per CBS Boston.
As ICE raids persist in Massachusetts, the community's response grows tense, people from throughout Massachusetts, including places like Arlington and Cambridge, have expressed their disquietude, with Frank from Arlington remarking to Boston 25 News, "This is not America, things are not normal." Laura Wernick of Cambridge, who observed the large-scale protests in Los Angeles, shared at Monday's rally, "It’s very frightening to me, it’s very important for people to show out, and show their solidarity and their support of immigrants."
Both Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey have been outspoken in their disapproval of ICE's actions and the National Guard's presence; Wu denounced the secret police tactics, advocating for a refrain from being bullied into silence, while Healey criticized Trump for his unilateral decision to deploy the National Guard in California without the assent of state and local officials, a move she described as a threat to public safety in a statement obtained by Boston 25 News.
However, diverging views are present within the state, with Janet Fogarty, RNC National Committeewoman for Massachusetts, justifying the administration’s steps and stating President Trump "is not going to tolerate it," citing violence against police as a rationale for firm action according to Boston 25 News interview. On the other hand, SEIU Local 509 president Dave Foley pointed to the familial and economic ripples felt by these operations, decrying the federal agents’ behavior to the assembly as described by CBS Boston.
