BOSTON — ICE may have a new ally in town… and it’s not who you think. Mayor Michelle Wu — the same sanctuary city darling who’s spent years denouncing federal immigration enforcement — is now applying for a $12 million federal grant that comes with an ICE collaboration requirement. Her progressive base? Melting down.

First reported by The Flipside, the deal would tie Boston into the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), which now mandates that 10% of its funding — about $1.2 million — be used for “border crisis response enforcement,” explicitly including ICE.

For years, Wu has railed against ICE, branding federal immigration enforcement as cruel and inhumane. She vowed that Boston would never help “deport our neighbors” and wrapped herself in the sanctuary flag to win votes. Now? She’s chasing a grant that puts ICE right in the middle of Boston policing. The official excuse: the city’s “internal legal analysis” says it’s all fine. The real reason: $12 million is $12 million.

ICE: Massachusetts’ Unofficial Cleanup Crew

While Wu and her political twin, Governor Maura Healey, have treated Massachusetts like an open invitation for illegal criminals, ICE has been the one quietly cleaning up the mess — not just in Boston, but across the state.

It’s been a parade of the worst — violent felons, gang members, and sex offenders — shielded by sanctuary policies until ICE swoops in like the superhero the state never admits it needs:

• An illegal Guatemalan sex predator convicted of molesting multiple victims, arrested in West Roxbury after nearly 17 years on Massachusetts streets.
• A twice-deported Dominican drug trafficker caught back in Worcester, allegedly peddling poison after slipping into the country again.
• A Moroccan national tied to a Lawrence shooting, found with an untraceable AR-15 hidden under his car’s hood.

Every time, it’s the same story: Beacon Hill and Boston City Hall look the other way, ICE does the job, and progressive politicians pretend it never happened.

The BRIC Backdoor

Wu insists Boston will use the money “without violating city or state law.” She’s pointing to the 2015 Trust Act — the one she championed as a councilor — that bars Boston police from holding nonviolent offenders for ICE or asking about immigration status.

But here’s the loophole: The Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC). BRIC has been feeding information to the feds for decades, covering everything from gang activity to protest movements. Occupy Wall Street? Monitored. Black Lives Matter? Monitored. Gaza protests? Monitored. And yes, information from BRIC goes straight into federal systems — where ICE can access it.

With the new grant’s ICE requirement, it’s no longer a quiet backdoor. It’s printed in bold on the contract.

Progressives in Meltdown Mode

The backlash from the left was instant. Muslim Justice League Executive Director Fatema Ahmad said the move “exposes how limited” Boston’s sanctuary policies really are. At-large City Councilor Julia Mejia called it a “hard pass,” warning the funding gives the feds a “loophole” into city law enforcement.

Other BRIC partner cities — Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Winthrop, and Brookline — balked at the ICE mandate. But thanks to Boston hosting BRIC, their “noncompliance” is just political theater. One fire chief even said: “If it’s all coming out of the BRIC, then that’s a Boston problem.” Translation: Wu takes the heat, everyone else keeps their hands clean.

Could This Be Her Emerson Moment?

In 2024, Wu sparked outrage among parts of her progressive base when she ordered the breakup of the pro-Hamas encampments at Emerson College. Some of her loudest left-wing supporters never forgave her.

Now, by bending the knee to ICE for $12 million, Wu risks lighting that fuse again. Progressives may be fuming today — but if the anger sticks, this could be the moment her “sanctuary” street cred burns for good. And ICE, once painted as her political enemy, will be the quiet victor.