Boston giving more than $2M to immigrant groups in the face of federal crackdown

Amid a crackdown on immigration and slashes in federal funding, the city of Boston is looking to support immigrants through a series of events and with new grant funding.

About one in four Boston residents are immigrants, according to Monique Tú Nguyen, head of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement. She said the city is sending a message that they are valued.

“We're not going to change, no matter what's going to happen on the federal level,” she said. “This year we're really trying to double down on singing from the rooftops that immigrants belong here."

The city is awarding a total of $2.1 million to dozens of groups that work with immigrants. The grants are spread across areas including legal advocacy, English language classes, mental health, and tuition assistance.

One of the nonprofit recipients is English for New Bostonians. The group’s chief executive, Claudia Green, said the new funding couldn’t come at a better time for English as a Second Language programs — many of which rely on federal money that can no longer be counted on.

“There is a threat of cuts to those programs that are funded all across the state,” Green said. “The city is stepping up and affirming its commitment to ESOL [English for Speakers of Other Languages] and to immigrant communities.”

The grant awards announced Monday dovetail with Boston’s City of Belonging Festival. Banners are on display at City Hall, and three events will take place through the end of June to celebrate the contributions of immigrants.