Boston awards $2.1 million in grants to immigrant groups

The Wu administration announced this week that it would give $2.1 million in grant funding to a variety of groups that work to help immigrants. 

The move comes amid the federal government’s ongoing immigration crackdown. This week the Trump administration included Boston on a list of so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” and accused the city of willfully obstructing federal immigration enforcement. 

“At a time when immigrant communities face uncertainty across the nation, Boston is choosing connection, compassion, and celebration. Funding our grant programs and contracts reminds us that resilience grows stronger when we stand together, across cultures and languages,” Mariangely Solis Cervera, Boston’s chief of equity and inclusion, said in a statement.  

The specifics of how the funding will be distributed were laid out in a release from the city this week. A work readiness program will receive $715,000, a legal services program will receive $700,000, a program for English language learners will receive $400,000, a wellness and mental health program will receive $232,000, and a “tuition equity” program will receive $84,000. Dozens of individual organizations are being contracted to help with these programs. 

The announcement is part of the city’s wider “City of Belonging Festival,” an initiative in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month that will bring free community events to residents throughout Boston. 

“Supporting our immigrant residents and families is critical in ensuring Boston continues to be a welcoming, safe, and healthy city,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. 

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