Monday, November 18, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: How immigration could play in Boston’s mayoral race


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By Kelly Garrity

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TRUMP CARD — Boston’s mayoral race has yet to officially take shape, though Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is running, she confirmed over the weekend.

And whether potential candidates want it to or not, Donald Trump’s return to the White House is likely to loom large over next year’s election — particularly when it comes to immigration.

Boston’s status as a sanctuary city could make it a target for Trump, whose administration is already laying out a plan to begin cracking down on immigration on day one.

The city’s status, established under the Boston Trust Act passed in 2014, means Boston Police and other city departments can refrain from helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain immigrants on civil warrants (it doesn’t apply to things like human or drug trafficking, or cyber crimes).

“Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and no individual city can reverse or override some parts of that,” Wu said on WCVB Sunday. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way, that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and having large-scale economic impact.”

Not long into Trump’s first administration in 2017, then-Boston Mayor Marty Walsh pushed back against the president’s early executive orders on immigration, even inviting migrants to stay in his office in City Hall if they had nowhere else to go.

But the immigration landscape in the city has changed since then. Wu on Sunday acknowledged that the city-run shelters for individual adults “have been at winter levels of over capacity already during the summer, and much of that is because of newly arrived residents.”

And some efforts to accommodate the influx of migrants into the city and the state have been met with pushback. The conversion of the state-owned Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex into a temporary shelter vexed some in the Roxbury community, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. And South Boston lawmakers expressed concerns when a Fort Point building was converted into a safety net shelter site.

Immigration was a key issue for voters nationwide during this year’s election, and even in Boston, Trump grew his support from past cycles (though Vice President Kamala Harris still won by a wide margin in the deep-blue city). Holding the line against Trump’s immigration policies may still resonate with most Boston voters – but it might not be as potent a campaign cudgel as it would’ve been during Trump’s first term in the White House.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTSHave a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com

TODAY Gov. Maura Healey speaks at the Firefighter of the Year Awards at 10 a.m. in Worcester and hosts a signing ceremony for a breast cancer screening bill at 1 p.m. at the State House. She and state Auditor Diana DiZoglio tour a community center at 5 p.m. in Methuen and attend the Merrimack Valley Chamber Annual Dinner at 6 p.m. in Haverhill. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends the launch of the Clean Energy & Environmental Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative at 9 a.m. in Boston and joins Healey at the bill signing ceremony. Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks at an Alliance for Business Leadership event at 11:30 a.m. in Boston. Rep. Stephen Lynch speaks at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Forum at 9:45 a.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the recipients for the third round of the city’s SPACE grants at 11 a.m. in Back Bay.

 

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “In jobs bill, Mass. lawmakers move to protect Roxbury nonprofit accused of predatory lending,” by Matt Stout and Andrew Brinker, The Boston Globe: “State lawmakers this week sent Governor Maura Healey legislation that would shield a Boston nonprofit battling accusations of predatory lending from lawsuits, and, critics say, exempt it from the state’s consumer protection laws, alarming homeowners and Massachusetts’ top prosecutor alike. The Legislature included the proposal among hundreds of policy riders it tacked onto a nearly $4 billion economic development bill that passed both the House and Senate on Thursday.”

— “‘It doesn’t have to be this way’: Cyclists demand end to fatal crashes at State House rally,” by Dan Glaun, The Boston Globe: “More than 200 cyclists biked from Cambridge to the doorstep of the State House on Sunday to memorialize riders killed in crashes and demand the passage of safety legislation. They arranged the rally during a deadly year for cyclists in Cambridge.”

— “Mass. lawmakers urged to stop Boston Mayor Wu’s commercial tax increase,” by Boston25News.com staff.

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston explores fee on vacant storefronts to revitalize neighborhoods,” by Tréa Lavery, MassLive: “Boston officials are considering whether a fee on vacant storefronts in the city’s neighborhoods could boost the local economy by pushing commercial landlords to bring in tenants. According to Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu, long-term vacant storefronts can lead to decreased property values, crime and disinvestment in the area, as well as a ‘negative vibe’ of blight. These issues particularly affect communities of color in neighborhoods such as Roxbury and Mattapan, he said.”

— “Tensions over abortion erupt as protesters confront Men’s March in Boston,” by Sean Cotter, Shannon Larson and John Hilliard, The Boston Globe.

 

The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now.

 
 
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Billerica, Wilmington on track for special Town Meetings to vote on MBTA Communities zoning,” by Peter Currier, The Lowell Sun: “With just weeks to go until the state’s Dec. 31 deadline, and the outcome of the Milton lawsuit still uncertain, Billerica and Wilmington are both on track to convene special Town Meetings next month to vote on proposed MBTA Communities multifamily housing zoning. This past May, both towns opted to wait to decide on the state mandated zoning, with Billerica’s warrant article being withdrawn before the spring Town Meeting, and Wilmington’s annual Town Meeting voting to refer the proposed zoning back to the Planning Board for later reconsideration.”

— “MBTA zoning law has drawn resistance from some South Shore communities,” by Hannah Morse, The Patriot Ledger: “Hanover’s select board has decided to push a decision on adhering to the MBTA Communities Act off until the spring 2025 town meeting. By Dec. 31, Hanover and five other South Shore communities are required to approve at least one zoning overlay district near public transportation that allows multifamily housing by right.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— “A Bourne Republican is trying to use a Boston court to overturn local election results,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A Republican who unsuccessfully ran for a South Shore and Cape Cod Senate seat turned to a Boston court this month in an effort to overturn the results of her Republican primary election this fall, a lawsuit state lawyers said could undermine public confidence in local contests. In a legal challenge filed Nov. 1 that names Gov. Maura Healey and Secretary of State William Galvin, Kari MacRae of Bourne asked a Boston judge to block the results of the general election for the Plymouth and Barnstable Senate seat to allow for a review to move forward of primary election early voting ballots she argued could be considered ‘invalid.’”

PAYWALL FOR BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG!

 


 
DAY IN COURT

— “Democrats scramble to fill federal judgeships in Massachusetts, appeals court,” by Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe: “A judgeship vacancy on the federal appeals court that oversees much of New England and another on the US District Court for Massachusetts are among about 40 seats on the federal judiciary that Democrats are scrambling to fill before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Democratic leadership has vowed to push nominations for the vacancies through the Senate in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration, but there’s some uncertainty as lawmakers weigh other priorities before Republicans assume majority control, according to legal specialists.”

WARREN REPORT

— “Elizabeth Warren is about to face her biggest test yet,” by Eleanor Mueller, POLITICO: “[Sen. Elizabeth Warren] is in line to become the top Democrat on the Republican-led Senate Banking Committee, giving her more power than ever on a panel where she has burnished her image as a progressive icon by berating bankers and bruising colleagues on both sides of the aisle. That history of internal conflict is fueling hope among the committee’s conservatives that they can win bipartisan backing in fighting Warren on looming issues like cryptocurrency regulation and President-elect Donald Trump’s economic nominees.”

TRUMPACHUSETTS

— “Thousands of federal workers in New England await word from Trump about their jobs,” by Paul Singer, GBH News: “At the end of his previous presidential term, Trump issued an executive order that allowed the president to recategorize thousands of career civil servants into political appointees, meaning they could be fired and replaced. President Joe Biden promptly reversed that order when he took office. Presumably, Trump will reinstate it. A September report from the Congressional Research Service, the internal research arm of the U.S. Congress, said that there are more than 60,000 federal employees in New England, based on partial tallies provided by the White House. About half of that total lives in Massachusetts. … For all of these government workers, the next few months will be full of uncertainty.”

— “More Mass. Black voters are backing Trump. Dems want to know how they can re-energize the voting base,” by Tiana Woodard, The Boston Globe.

— “Republican activists forecast more public engagement with GOP after Trump win,” by Stephanie Barry, The Springfield Republican.

 

Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy.

 
 
TRANSITION TIME

— “Mass. life science stocks plunge on prospect of RFK Jr. as HHS head,” by Hannah Green, Boston Business Journal: “The largest publicly traded life sciences companies in Massachusetts all saw their stock prices take a nosedive since President-elect Donald Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his choice to lead the nation's Health and Human Services department."

LOCAL ANGLETodd Lyonswho serves as ICE’s enforcement and removal operations field office director in Boston, is among those under consideration to serve as ICE director in the next Trump administration, Fox News reports

AT THE PODIUM — Former NH-01 candidate and Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt will serve as Trump’s White House press secretary. At 27, she’ll be the youngest person to hold the title. More on the pick from POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Provision by state Legislature on civil service has impact on Worcester's appointment of chief,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette.

— “Deal between city and WPI expected to soften impact of school's hotel purchases,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The city has reached an agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute over the college's controversial purchase of two hotels at Gateway Park, according to a communication on Tuesday's City Council agenda. City Manager Eric D. Batista wrote the city reached an agreement over losing property tax payments for the Hampton Inn & Suites at 65 Prescott St. and the Courtyard by Marriott at 72 Grove St., and on future uses of WPI sites at Gateway Park.”

— “After 3 temporary leaders, Lawrence hires consultant, advertises police chief's job,” by Jill Harmacinski, The Eagle-Tribune: “Job ads for the city’s next police chief appeared on a variety of websites and a consulting firm was hired to help officials sift through resumes and credentials for those seeking the job. Lawrence has not had a permanent police chief since June 30, 2023, when Chief Roy Vasque retired after reaching a $780,000 settlement with the city.”

— “Spending scandal will be focus at Brockton City Council, school board,” by Chris Helms and Christopher Butler, The Brockton Enterprise: “

— “Schools to remain closed Monday in three North Shore communities amid teacher strikes,” by  Maddie Khaw, The Boston Globe: “Schools in three North Shore communities will remain closed Monday as educators in Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead continue their strikes and families face another day of missed learning. Negotiations dragged on over the weekend. By Sunday night, district officials and union representatives in all three communities remained divided on key issues, including paid parental leave and wages for teachers and teaching assistants.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Daniel Lippman, a White House and Washington reporter for POLITICO and Berkshire native, and Sophia Narrett, an artist who shows with Kohn Gallery and Perrotin, recently welcomed a baby girl. Pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Rory Clark, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs, Eric D. Roiter and Monica Rosales.

 

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