ICE says it issued 198 detainer requests with the Boston Police Department last year. BPD Commissioner Michael Cox said there were only 15.

Boston police say state and local laws prevent them from detaining a person solely based on immigration status.

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 — 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.