BOSTON — Incoming border czar Tom Homan says he hopes Boston Mayor Michelle Wu doesn’t “cross the line” when the Trump administration begins rolling out its mass deportation plan early next year.

Homan responded late Monday and again on Tuesday to Wu’s vow that she will continue to protect immigrants in “every possible way” under President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation threat, saying she needs to educate herself on federal immigration law.

“Well, she’s not very smart, I’ll give her that,” Homan said during a Monday night appearance on Newsmax. “President Trump’s going to prioritize public safety threats. What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities?

“That’s our number one responsibility,” he added, “to protect their communities and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Homan also continued to emphasize “Title 8, United States Code 1324 III,” saying he suggests Wu read the section so she can know that harboring or concealing an illegal alien from a law enforcement officer is against federal law.

“They can not cooperate,” Homan said, “but there are certain laws in place that they can’t cross and I hope she doesn’t cross it.”

Wu responded Tuesday to Homan’s comments in a statement shared with the Herald.

“They can say whatever they want about me, but our public safety record speaks for itself: Boston is the safest major city in America,” the mayor said. “Our homicide rates are among the lowest of any city nationally, and gun violence has been at an all-time historic low over the last two years here in Boston”

“This is no coincidence,” she added. “It’s a reflection of the trust between our residents and our public safety officials, and a result of our daily focus on community policing and coordinating city services. We will continue to focus on that work and have no intention of rolling out the welcome mat for them.”

Homan’s comments came after Wu cited Boston’s status as a sanctuary city under the Trust Act, during a segment on WCVB’s “On the Record” that aired Sunday. The ordinance, passed in 2014 under Mayor Marty Walsh, limits the city’s cooperation with some federal immigration laws.

“Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities — no individual city — can reverse or override some parts of that,” Wu told WCVB. “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 impacts.”

Trump has confirmed his intention to declare a national emergency as a pretext for using the military in his plans to round up and deport more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The president-elect has frequently promised to begin the “largest mass deportation event” in the nation’s history when he regains office in January, and he has appointed Homan to lead those efforts.

Boston’s Trust Act prohibits city police and other departments from cooperating with ICE when it comes to detaining immigrants on civil warrants, while still allowing for cooperation in criminal matters like human trafficking and cyber crimes.

Wu previously told WGBH the city has laws preventing local police from assisting under any mass deportation efforts based solely on immigration status.

The mayor did not provide many specifics about the city’s role if federal officials step up deportation efforts locally but said she does not want people to suddenly feel like they need to “retreat into the shadows.”

“Reaching out to city services, whether it’s calling 911 when you need it, or taking your child to school — those are all city services that have nothing to do with immigration enforcement,” Wu said. “And we will continue to protect our residents within those spaces.”

Municipalities across the Bay State that consider themselves sanctuary cities are working to reaffirm that status. Northampton and Amherst have already approved their support, while Somerville is set to OK its commitment next week.

Cambridge, Concord, Lawrence and Newton are also sanctuary cities.

Gov. Maura Healey has also pledged that Massachusetts State Police won’t be used to assist in Trump’s mass deportation efforts, with the state’s top law enforcement agency declaring that kind of support goes against its mission.

Homan, during a segment on Fox News Tuesday morning, said he wants reluctant officials to listen to the 911 tape that captures Georgia nursing student Laken Riley’s final moments alive.

Jose Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally two years ago, is charged with murder and other crimes in Riley’s death last February. The 22-year-old was on a run when she encountered the killer.

“I want you to listen to that tape of that young lady fighting for her life, fighting for her breath,” Homan said. “She did not want to die, she fought hard. Listen to it. Don’t just say ‘OK, another one died.’ I want you to listen to the struggles because that happens across the country almost every day by an illegal alien.”

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