The US Department of Justice on Thursday sued the City of Boston over the city’s “sanctuary city” policies, which limit local police from complying with federal immigration authorities’ requests to detain people, for possible deportation, unless a person has committed a specific crime.

The lawsuit filed in US District Court in Massachusetts also names Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Police Department, and Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox.

The complaint said Boston’s policies “interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.”

“Sanctuary city” is a politicized term that immigration critics use to describe municipalities that limit cooperation with federal enforcement efforts.

The suit cites Boston’s Trust Act, an ordinance approved by the City Council 11 years

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