Boston and other so-called sanctuary cities will continue to see a surge in immigration enforcement actions in the coming days, according to “Border Czar” Tom Homan.

Homan was making the Sunday talk show rounds when he suggested that ICE activity will ramp up in cities that maintain sanctuary policies across the U.S.

“You can expect action in most sanctuary cities across the country,” Homan told CNN.

His remarks come after the Department of Homeland Security announced “Operation Patriot 2.0″ in Boston over the weekend, the start of a second surge of ICE enforcement in the Bay State after “Operation Patriot” saw more than 1,400 people arrested in May.

The Trump Administration has “prioritized” so-called sanctuary cities, Homan said, because officials there refuse to help enforce federal immigration laws or hold people based on a detention request from ICE.

“Sanctuary cities knowingly release illegal alien public safety threats into the streets everyday. That’s where the problem is,” he said.

Homan’s remarks were echoed by gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve, who told WBZ in an interview aired Sunday that he would reverse the state’s current uncooperative policies if elected.

“Most of the people the federal government is doing raids to find are people who have been in and out of our court system,” the Republican said.

“I oppose sanctuary state policies. I think our state government should be cooperating with ICE,” he said. “When I am governor, we will cooperate with the federal government. We will honor detainers.”

Logan Trupiano, a spokesperson for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy, said that Shortsleeve’s record shows his tough talk on immigration is just that – talk.

“Mike has made clear since the first day of his campaign that he supports Republican efforts to close the border and get criminals out of our state. Brian Shortsleeve, on the other hand, has donated nearly $100,000 to Democrat politicians that support open borders, making Massachusetts a sanctuary state, and sanctuary cities,” Trupiano said.

While there is no strict definition of what makes a jurisdiction a “sanctuary” city or state, it is generally taken to describe a local political decision not to directly aid in the enforcement of immigration laws on behalf of the federal government.

For example, Massachusetts has not declared itself a “sanctuary state,” but its highest court has declared that state law bars a defendant from being held in state custody solely on the basis of an immigration detainer. Boston has not declared itself a “sanctuary city” but also does not inquire as to a person’s immigration status before providing city services, and its Trust Act prevents police from enforcing civil immigration orders.

A list of sanctuary jurisdictions by the Trump Administration and published by the Department of Justice in August does not include the Bay State itself, but does include Boston.

Gov. Maura Healey, who is seeking reelection in 2026, said during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC that the surge of federal law enforcement in Massachusetts began without her office being notified, and that it’s not actually helping public safety.

“It’s about political theater. It’s about a political power grab and an attempt to intimidate,” she said.

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