Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said the agency intends to "flood the zone" in Boston after Mayor Michelle Wu rejected a Trump-administration demand that the city dismantle its sanctuary protections for undocumented immigrants. In a radio interview on The Howie Carr Show, Lyons said residents should expect a noticeably larger ICE presence because, in his view, sanctuary policies allow local authorities to release immigrants who have criminal records rather than transfer them to federal custody. Wu had earlier dismissed an ultimatum from Attorney General Pam Bondi that threatened to cut federal funding unless Boston abandoned the protections. The mayor said the city "will not back down" from policies she argues make Boston safer and more welcoming to immigrants. The confrontation underscores ongoing frictions between federal immigration enforcement and cities that limit cooperation. It also comes as ICE seeks to expand its ranks; Lyons said the agency has received more than 115,000 job applications since July toward a goal of hiring 10,000 additional deportation officers.