Boston Mayor Michelle Wu talks immigration, Jaylen Brown trade at Civic Summit - EUROPE SAYS
In the conversation moderated by WJAR-TV (Channel 10) host Kwani Lunis, Wu commented on the city’s progress and history of activism. “You can see who was envisioned in that first statement of ‘We the People’. . .
In the conversation moderated by WJAR-TV (Channel 10) host Kwani Lunis, Wu commented on the city’s progress and history of activism. “You can see who was envisioned in that first statement of ‘We the People’ is very different from our community then and certainly our community today,” Wu said to the crowd of about 200 at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. “Our push in Boston is to fully embody and encompass those words, people being the central focus of the work that we do. ”Wu described the last couple of months as “jarring,” comparing Boston’s unity while hosting the World Cup in July with the federal government’s recent actions threatening immigrants, who she said are important to the city’s economy and civic life. She specifically condemned the Supreme Court ruling in June that cleared the way for the Trump administration toend Temporary Protected Statusfor Haitian and Syrian migrants. “Our city — and our country — was celebrating diversity and bringing people together … and then immediately after to see the federal administration’s illegal and immoral actions would be allowed by the Supreme Court, it’s unthinkable,” she said. While hosting the World Cup in July, Wu said Boston became “the antidote to everything that’s happening at the federal level” and praised Boston for being the “city that invented the idea of public good in America. ”“It gave birth to our democracy, first public schools, libraries, parks,” she said. “The things that we can only do when we do them together, the city has always stood for. ”Wu said Temporary Protected Status, afederal programthat allows migrants from designated countries experiencing dangerous conditions to stay in the United States legally, should be a “guarantee. ”“In 2017, Donald Trump’s own secretary of homeland security said that it was not safe for people to go back to Haiti given the political and safety conditions there, and it has only gotten more intense since then,” she said. Wu praised Representative Ayanna Pressley, and Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, forchampioning legislationthat would extend TPS status for Haitians. “Even though this is a federal issue, there is something that can be done,” she said. “This is a choice that our country would be making politically, and it is our right to impact the choices that our federal government makes. ”Lunis centered most of the conversation onWu’s July 4 speech, which included her reflections on several historic letters that were addressed to a future male mayor. Wu, thefirst female mayorto be elected in Boston’s history, emphasized the importance of diverse representation at the local level. Wu said it’s “easy to point the finger at the federal level” even though “we can always do more” in the city and state. “There are candidates running for reelection right now who have voted against driver’s licenses for our immigrant neighbors, who have voted against reproductive rights, voted against advancements in climate, and we can sometimes let that slide,” she said. At the end, Lunis asked Wu to reflect on the impact former Celtics player Jaylen Brown had on Boston, framing his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers as a loss in light of his economic and educational contributions to the city. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m so heartbroken,” Wu said. She then praised Brown’s involvement during his 10 years with the Celtics, including his work connecting underserved youth with educational resources and his push to close the racial wealth gap. “There are many folks with that level of reputation and that level of options in the world. You can go on a vacation somewhere very nice and be away from all the stress, or you can sometimes ask for a little bit more intensity and go in and try to leave your community better than you found it,” she said. Wrapping up, Wu told the crowd to look forward to the 400th anniversary of the founding of Boston, which will be marked in 2030. “We’re going to need preparations, and we want to make it big,” she said. “Every bit of looking back in our city is actually about looking forward and building a future we know is possible. ”Emily Spatz can be reached atemily. spatz@globe. com. Follow her on X@emilymspatz.