Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering a plan to lease 249 parking spots in downtown Boston to stage vehicles used in federal immigration operations, according to a federal notice.
The Department of Homeland Security issued the notice in July, saying that it was seeking a landlord who could provide suitable parking spaces in downtown Boston under a five-year lease. The prospective spaces would be located in the "vicinity of existing or planned ICE facilities," according to the notice.
Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune — who voted against ICE enforcement on city property in February, including parking lots — called the effort "reprehensible."
"We made it very clear in February that public spaces, public property is for the use of the city and will not be allowed to be used by ICE for any staging or any actions," she said. "So with respect to the City of Boston property, that will not be permissible."
The Boston Globe previously reported that agency officials said the notice was issued "solely for market research and information-gathering purposes" rather than a final decision to move forward.
Boston is one of 14 cities listed in the notice and the only one located in the Northeast. The request for nearly 250 spaces is also the second largest in the country.
Proposals for the prospective spaces are due Friday. If ICE received enough responses from property owners, it could then issue a formal request, examine proposals and sign a lease.
But Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement that "the city opposes any efforts to allow ICE to stage its lawless operations here," adding that "this federal administration has used ICE to make violent and deadly attacks on American cities."
Agency officials said the parking lot would need to be located in the city's central business district with a leasing term of three to five years. If approved, ICE vehicles could begin filling parking spaces early next year.
"Having close to 250 ICE vehicles in Downtown is 250 too many and these leases are not appropriate," said Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén in a statement. "I respectfully urge all partners, businesses and leaders to reject this request and instead continue prioritizing policies that keep Boston welcoming, safe and serving all of our residents."
Boston City Councilor Henry Santana also said he strongly urges "local property owners and businesses to put their neighbors first — do not lease your space to an organization that targets the very people who make our city home."
Louijeune said "it's very clear" that ICE is trying to continue terrorizing Boston's immigrant neighborhoods and residents.
"No one should be making their job easier, because it is shown that so many of their officers are not well trained," she said. "They've been involved in a number of killings of residents here in the country, and we should not be engaging or helping or partnering with them."
On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey is expected to sign the PROTECT Act into law, which would further limit where ICE can stage and operate across the state. Ahead of the bill signing and after news about the ICE parking spaces emerged Wednesday, she issued a statement opposing that plan.
"We see what ICE is doing to our communities every day. People are afraid to go to school, doctors' appointments, court or even church," she said ahead of signing the bill. "We absolutely cannot allow ICE to have 250 parking spots in downtown Boston while they are engaging in these illegal tactics. We cannot enable them to ramp up even further in Massachusetts."
Copyright 2026 GBH News Boston