Federal authorities said the Boston Police Department refused to act on 198 immigration detainer requests last year, far exceeding the 15 reported by BPD’s commissioner, while blasting the city for jeopardizing “public safety and national security.

The Boston Police Department did not fulfill 15 requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain people suspected of being undocumented immigrants in 2024.

Boston law enforcement revealed they have denied all of ICE's requests to detain the city's immigrants that have probable cause to be removed from the country.

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the department refused to act on all 15 civil immigration detainer requests submitted by federal authorities last year, citing a city law that shields noncitizens from deportation under certain circumstances.

The Boston Police Department refused all 15 civil requests from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement last year seeking cooperation in detaining people who faced deportation, meeting its obligation under a city law that limits police involvement with federal immigration matters.