BOSTON — Mayor Michelle Wu planted herself firmly in the middle of America’s latest immigration culture war this week, standing tall with Somali-Americans and sending a defiant message to President Donald Trump as backlash brews nationwide.

Surrounded by supporters waving Somali flags in downtown Boston, Wu declared solidarity with Somali residents “who are being targeted and denigrated by the federal government,” according to a statement she posted after the rally.

“More than 8,000 Somali-Americans call Greater Boston home,” Wu wrote. “You cannot talk about any achievement that the City of Boston has had in safety, in jobs and economic development, in education, without talking about the Somali community that has lifted our city up.”

Wu vowed that her administration would “empower and work alongside” Somali residents and insisted Boston would “continue to set the example for the rest of the country” — a clear shot across the bow at Washington as Trump ramps up immigration enforcement in his second term.

Pressley goes nuclear

Joining Wu was Rep. Ayanna Pressley — and unlike the mayor, Pressley didn’t mince words.

“From Massachusetts to Minnesota, our Somali communities are strong and vibrant,” Pressley wrote after the rally. “And no amount of hate from the occupant of the White House will change that.” She added that she was “proud to stand in solidarity with our Somali siblings in Boston and let them know we’ve got their back.”

The language marked a direct escalation, openly framing Trump and his administration as the enemy in a widening showdown between progressive city leaders and the White House.

Critics push back — hard

But not everyone is applauding.

Critics of Somali immigration — particularly vocal online and on conservative media — argue that leaders like Wu and Pressley are prioritizing identity politics over public safety, assimilation, and accountability. They point to concerns about welfare fraud cases tied to Somali-led nonprofits in Minnesota, argue that immigration enforcement is being unfairly labeled “hate,” and say Democrats are ignoring legitimate voter concerns about border security, crime, and strain on public services.

Others accuse city leaders of using Somali communities as political props in a national resistance campaign against Trump, rather than addressing local anxieties over housing costs, schools, and law enforcement.

Those arguments have gained traction as Trump allies push tougher enforcement and question why some cities appear more eager to confront Washington than cooperate with it.

A familiar Boston playbook

For Wu, the moment fits a familiar pattern: Boston as moral counterweight to the federal government, even as critics argue the city is struggling with crime fears, an affordability crisis, and public trust issues.

For Pressley, it’s something closer to open warfare.

And for Trump — back in the Oval Office and relishing confrontation — the rally is just more proof that immigration remains the fault line Democrats are willing to die on.

One thing is clear: Boston’s progressive leadership has picked its side — and they’re daring Washington to respond.