Boston Council Holds Hearing to Permanently Codify Immigrant Advancement Office

BOSTON — August 29, 2023 — Boston City Council hears testimony on proposal to codify the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Advancement into city law. The Committee on Government Operations, chaired during the hearing by Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, took up Docket 1188, sponsored by Councilor Julia M. Mejia, which would amend Chapter 12, Section 1219 of the Boston Code of Ordinances to formally establish MOIA — an office that has operated since 1998 but has never been written into law. Executive Director Monique Nguyen expressed qualified support but formally requested a working session before the ordinance advances, saying portions of the current draft contain inaccuracies, language that "perpetuates harmful stereotypes," and unresolved questions about confidential data collection. Community advocates, including Jonathan Goldman of the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, cited statistics showing only 2.6 percent of recent Boston immigration cases had legal representation. Mejia closed by putting the administration on notice: "Let's move this forward for the people," she said, demanding specific proposed language amendments within weeks.