Overview
- The city submitted a Freedom of Information Act request and sent letters to garage and lot owners on Tuesday to identify anyone who responded to a Department of Homeland Security 'sources sought' notice.
- DHS has publicly called Mayor Michelle Wu's outreach 'unhinged' and said she has no authority to stop owners from contracting with federal agencies.
- The DHS notice is a market-research step that seeks 249 contiguous parking spaces in Boston and could lead to a formal lease only after a months-long procurement process.
- Wu framed the effort as a public-safety measure, citing recent deadly incidents involving ICE operations elsewhere and saying private leases could enable an escalation of federal enforcement in the city.
- Boston has already barred ICE from using municipal property and Governor Maura Healey signed state limits on some ICE activities, and the dispute highlights tensions over local persuasion versus federal authority and how private property rights shape enforcement options.