Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sparked controversy Wednesday after making remarks that appeared to draw a comparison between federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a New England-based neo-Nazi group, NSC-131.

The comparison came during a press conference when Wu was asked about mask-wearing among law enforcement.

“I don’t know of any police department that routinely wear masks. We know that there are other groups who routinely wear masks, NSC-131 (Nationalist Social Club-131) routinely wears masks,” Wu said.

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When a reporter asked her to clarify if she was comparing ICE to NSC-131, Wu replied, “What I said is that Boston Police and no police department that I know of at the local level routinely wears masks.”

The mayor’s comments drew swift reaction due to her implication that federal ICE agents—who often wear protective masks during operations—share similarities in appearance with members of NSC-131, an extremist neo-nazi organization known for wearing masks to conceal their identities during public demonstrations.

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Wu’s relationship with ICE has been strained since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, as she reaffirmed Boston’s status as a sanctuary city and announced the city would not comply with certain federal immigration enforcement efforts.

According to information obtained by the Boston Herald, ICE submitted 198 detainer requests to the city of Boston in 2024 for illegal immigrants charged with or convicted of “egregious criminal activity.”

The city reportedly ignored all of them.

The tension escalated during a March 5 House Oversight Committee hearing, where Wu and other Democrat mayors testified about their cities’ refusal to cooperate with ICE.

Chairman James Comer questioned Wu directly on whether she would hand over illegal immigrants with criminal records to federal agents.

Wu did not provide a direct answer.

“Whenever there’s a criminal warrant, Boston police enforce that and hold them accountable,” Wu said during her testimony, but she did not respond to whether her administration would honor ICE detainer requests.

On March 19, during her “State of the City” address, Wu defended her administration’s policies, criticizing “presidents who think they are kings” for attempting to override local sanctuary policies.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gave her third State of the City Address on Wednesday.

Thank you, Mayor.

“You belong here… Boston doesn’t back down.”

“No one tells Boston how to take care of our own. Not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings. Boston was born facing down… pic.twitter.com/6D1pHVhSQp

— Tina MF (@TinaMF1) March 20, 2025

In response, the White House labeled Wu a “radical mayor” who “puts violent criminal illegal aliens first.”

Wu’s political affiliations and financial backing have also come under scrutiny.

A Daily Caller News Foundation investigation reported that Wu received over $300,000 in campaign contributions during her 2021 mayoral run from Gary Yu, founder of Boston International Media Consulting.

Yu is associated with a Chinese civic group and has ties to the United Front Work Department (UFWD), an agency identified as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and intelligence apparatus.

Massachusetts campaign finance records show that Yu has contributed $45,515 to various state Democrat politicians since 2018, including $3,200 to Wu.

Yu has also led fundraising efforts that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for other Democratic candidates in Massachusetts.

As the Trump administration continues to press state and local governments to comply with federal immigration enforcement, Wu remains one of the most high-profile Democratic officials opposing those efforts.

Her latest comments comparing ICE agents’ attire to that of an extremist group have added to growing criticism of her handling of public safety and immigration policy in the city.

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