Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Tuesday rejected a U.S. Justice Department deadline to dismantle the city’s ‘sanctuary’ policies, telling Attorney General Pam Bondi that Boston “will not back down” from measures limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. In a letter and a City Hall press conference, Wu said Boston “follows the law” and accused the Trump administration of using immigration to “hide [its] failures.” Bondi’s 13-August letter gave 32 cities and states until 19 August to confirm they would share information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and lift restrictions such as detention-request limits set by ordinances like Boston’s Trust Act. The attorney general warned that non-compliant jurisdictions could face lawsuits, criminal exposure for officials, loss of federal grants and a possible deployment of federal officers. Wu countered that Massachusetts law constrains local participation in federal immigration actions and argued that community-based policing has helped make Boston “the safest major city in America.” She was joined by police, clergy and labor leaders at the event, which drew support from Senator Ed Markey and other Democrats. Legal analysts say the city risks losing millions of dollars in discretionary Justice and Homeland Security funds if it refuses to alter its policies, though court battles over similar threats have stalled previous efforts by Republican administrations. The Justice Department has not specified what action it will take next against Boston or the 31 other jurisdictions.