A federal task force proposed a meeting with the Wu administration on April 23, but the DOJ hasn’t given the city the specifics they asked for, so no meeting is happening.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is facing tensions with the Trump administration due to the proposed meeting with the federal antisemitism task force that is now canceled. The federal government contacted leaders in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago about alleged antisemitic incidents at schools and on college campuses. Wu was told that the federal government was concerned about potential violations of federal law in failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination.Representatives from the Department of Justice visited Boston officials and the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston on April 9 but failed to provide more specific information about the antisemitic incidents. Kevin Jenkins from the DOJ suggested an April 23 meeting but didn’t confirm any specific incidents to discuss on that date. Boston officials are still waiting for more information before agreeing to a meeting this week. Spokespeople from the DOJ have not responded to requests for information.Harvard University, along with other schools, is being targeted by the federal government for not doing enough to protect Jewish students. When Harvard refused to comply with demands made by the Trump administration, more than $2 billion in funding was frozen, and the university’s tax-exempt status was threatened. Harvard responded by suing the federal government. In addition to Harvard, Mayor Wu is also facing criticism from the Trump administration and GOP lawmakers for Boston’s immigration enforcement policies. Wu testified before Congress in March, defending immigrants and denouncing Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar.”Ross Cristantiello, a local news journalist for Boston.com, covers various topics such as local politics, crime, and the environment. Subscribe to the Today newsletter to get daily updates delivered to your inbox.
