BOSTON — A top ICE official is blasting back at Gov. Maura Healey’s declaration that Massachusetts is “not a sanctuary state.”

As the Herald reported Monday, the governor admitted that the cost of housing migrants is “overwhelming,” but that does not equate to being an anti-enforcement “sanctuary” — a point she’s stressing as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to crack down on illegal immigration.

It’s not how those on the front lines of the border crisis see it, however.

Todd Lyons, a top national official for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO), said Massachusetts “can do more to remove egregious foreign-born public safety threats from our neighborhoods by simply notifying ERO when they are in custody.”

He said his officers and the public are put in danger when suspects wanted back in their native countries are bailed out here, and they still need to be tracked down for deportation.

He did not mention Healey’s comments directly, but stressed Massachusetts is now home to “so many cities and municipalities” that “openly” support sanctuary policies.

Boston, Somerville, Northampton, Amherst, Cambridge, Concord, Lawrence and Newton are the state’s eight sanctuary cities. Natick now has a policy board members say can be adjusted anytime similar to the other sanctuary cities.

The Center for Immigration Studies tracks sanctuary cities across the U.S., saying they “obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE” to varying degrees.

Lyons told the Herald Monday anytime a city or town refuses to help an ICE officer, that “is giving sanctuary to criminal elements.”

Lyons, considered to be in the running to head ICE nationally under the Trump administration, said “a local or state law enforcement officer should never be afraid their job is in jeopardy for working with or sharing intelligence with ICE and ERO.”

Lyons said the state “does not share information with ERO” — and that includes Registry of Motor Vehicles data including driver’s licenses and vehicle information — plus State Police are “not allowed to work with ERO.” That’s “a big problem,” he said.

The targets, Lyons added, are “the most heinous (felons) like child sex offenders and gang activity” his officers confront “almost daily.”

It’s all about communication, not labels, he added.

“We are not asking local or state partners to be immigration officers,” he said, “We are asking for open lines of communication.”

Even if the state works with Homeland Security, Lyons said ERO is just as vital to “public safety.”

In Massachusetts, many point to a 2017 ruling from the Supreme Judicial Court that bars state and local police from detaining a person solely on the basis of their immigration status, a decision that has since been used to prohibit interactions with federal immigration officials.

Healey said she believes “violent criminals should be deported if they’re not here lawfully” and that local, state, and federal law enforcement should work together to investigate and prosecute crimes and remove people from the country who are criminals.

Healey said she does not back “showing up at a hotel, and rounding up groups of people who are suspected to be here unlawfully, who are here working, and just deporting all of them without a process.”

When asked if ICE agents are targeting migrant motels, Lyons said ERO has “never shown up at a hotel, shelter or any other place just to round up people who may be here illegally.” In fact, he added, they have their hands full focusing on “the worst of the worst.”

He did point to the Dec. 2 arrest of Luan Lucas De Sousa Goncalves, 21, charged with rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14. The Plymouth Police Department arrested him on that charge a day before turning him over to ERO Boston, the agency posted.

De Sousa is a Brazilian national who crossed the border illegally in July 22, 2023, ICE said.

“De Sousa has been accused of raping and assaulting someone in one of our Massachusetts communities,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde.

“After our colleagues at the Plymouth Police Department arrested him, ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, who are wonderful partners in the fight to keep the residents of Massachusetts safe, honored the detainer and turned him over to our custody,” Hyde added. “We are thankful for all the police departments and sheriff’s offices in Massachusetts that prioritize public safety.”

Lou Murray, Bostonians Against Sanctuary Cities (BASC) co-founder, also pushed back at Healey, saying, “It’s high time that Right To Shelter was abolished altogether. What started as a Dukakis for President publicity stunt has bloated into a crushing budget busting burden for Massachusetts taxpayers.”

Healey has pushed back on Congress for not helping states out with a clear immigration policy. That could all change come Jan. 20 when Trump takes office.

Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming border czar, said he “guarantees” that federal funding can be wielded as a tool against sanctuary cities that fight ICE.

There are an estimated 13 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

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