Boston Secures $640,000 for Immigrant Defense Fund, Adds Three MOYA Staff

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6121 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston locks in more than $640,000 for the third year of its Greater Boston Immigrant Defense Fund at the We Are Boston gala. Mayor Marty Walsh announced the funding at the annual event hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, calling Boston the first New England city to invest public dollars in a fund of this kind; the two-year pilot reached several thousand people through legal services and education workshops at 11 partner organizations. MOYA Director Yusufi Vali, appointed by Walsh earlier this year, unveiled a four-part strategic plan including a 10-week civic education course for 30 emerging immigrant leaders and capacity-building grants of $2,000 to $10,000 for immigrant-led nonprofits funded by the evening's ticket and sponsorship revenue.

The Irish International Immigrant Center received the Community Championship Award for its advocacy around the federal medical deferred action termination, and Project Citizenship's outgoing Executive Director Veronica Serrato was honored with the Pride of Boston Award after this year's Citizenship Day drew more than 800 attendees who collectively saved over $166,000 in naturalization filing fees.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,880 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip6121 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.