A City of Boston leadership program that is open only to immigrants, including people who are not U.S. citizens, is drawing criticism online over its eligibility rules and its use of public money, Fox News Digital reported Monday. The controversial Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, once again has hard-working American taxpayers wondering where her loyalties lie.
The program, called Immigrants Lead Boston, is run by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement under Mayor Michelle Wu.
According to Fox News, it is designed for “emerging leaders” interested in advocating for Boston’s immigrant communities.
Over 10 weeks, participants meet city officials and receive training aimed at helping them engage with local government and organize within their communities.
The coursework centers on civic engagement and community organizing. Participants can receive a $575 scholarship, which Fox News describes as taxpayer-funded.
The criticism rests on two points. The first is that public money is paying for the program. The second is eligibility: critics argue that U.S.-born residents are excluded from a leadership program backed by the city they live in.
Reaction on the social media platform X was sharp. One user called the program “a political pipeline built to shut citizens out.”
Another wrote that the city was “Paying illegal immigrants to learn political organizing to protest against the country they’re in.” Other commenters questioned whether the eligibility limits are legal and accused the city of discrimination.
Those posts go further than the report itself. Fox News describes eligibility as open to immigrants, including non-U.S. citizens, and does not say whether applicants’ immigration status is considered.
The report also does not say how many people take part each year or what the program costs the city in total.
The mayor’s side of the story is missing so far. Fox News Digital said it contacted Wu’s office for comment and had not received a response at the time of publication.
The report places the Boston program alongside other public benefits for immigrants in Democratic-led states.
New York, Connecticut and Vermont offer in-state tuition or financial assistance to immigrants in the country illegally, according to Fox News, while Oregon, Washington and California provide additional educational benefits, including grants and student loans.
The questions critics are raising, including whether the eligibility limits are lawful and how the program is paid for, are ones only the city can answer. Until Wu’s office responds, the case against the program is being made online, and the case for it has not yet been made publicly.
