Mayor Michelle Wu highlighted Boston’s resistance against the Trump administration’s attacks on the city’s public servants, immigrants, veterans and the LBGTQ+ community, along with introducing education and housing initiatives in her 2025 State of the City Address Wednesday.
Speaking before a packed crowd at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Wu discussed her recent testimony before Congress, where she defended Boston’s sanctuary city policies against threats from the Trump administration to withhold federal funds.
“Two weeks ago, I went down to D.C. because Congress had some questions about how we do things here in Boston,” Wu said. “It might have been my voice speaking into the microphone that day, but it was 700,000 voices that gave Congress their answer: this is our city.”
Only a day after Wu’s address, the White House Office of Communications called her a “radical mayor” in a statement. One of the Trump Administration’s X accounts, “Rapid Response 47,” wrote that Wu “doubled down last night on giving sanctuary to violent criminal illegal aliens.”
Before Wu took the stage at MGM, a compilation of news clips criticizing Boston played, including a clip of Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan saying he’d bring “hell to Boston,” which was followed by a series of clips showcasing City programs and services.
“No one tells Boston how to take care of our own, not kings and not presidents who think they are kings,” Wu said.
Councilor Benjamin Weber said it’s particularly important for college students in Boston to play a role in resistance to the Trump administration.
“One of the things that makes Boston great is we’re home to all these universities,” Weber said. “Come out of your dorm room, leave the student union, get out on the streets and join the rest of us, because your efforts are gonna make the city a better place.”
City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said young people are in a unique position to lead the way.
“[Young people] have only known a country of chaos, and that is unacceptable,” Louijeune said. “We’re looking to our students and to our young people to be the leaders that we need in this moment.”
Weber said the city is “unified” in fighting for “justice and empathy,” which he said Wu will continue to support.
“Even though we’re being faced with an incredible onslaught of accusations and funding issues and threats to prosecute our mayor … she’s going to stand up and fight for what’s right,” he said.
Wu called for strength and unity from Boston residents amidst increasingly harmful political rhetoric.
“Boston is not a city that tolerates tyranny. We are the city that leads in the storm, that stands up under pressure together and finds strength in each other,” Wu said. “God save whoever messes with Boston.”
Wu also spoke of Boston’s improvement in public education and initiatives to improve the lives of students.
“In the city that created public education, we must set the standard for others to meet,” Wu said. “We aren’t there yet, but today, our public schools are on the right track and steadily building momentum.”
Boston Public Schools enrollment is rising for the first time in a decade, Mayor Wu announced, alongside higher graduation rates and a drop in chronic absenteeism.
“Our state accountability results show meaningful progress,” she said. “We are connecting our young people to an excellent and expansive education, rigorous academics, summer learning and jobs, after-school enrichment, student athletics and access to the arts.”
Wu announced the launch of BCYF Creates, a partnership with the Boston Centers for Youth & Families aiming to provide students with free artistic programming.
“If you’re a student excited to explore our nation’s history, take in a show, try a new sport or join the math team, all you have to do is live in Boston,” she said.
Additionally, Wu introduced new housing initiatives, including the Co-Purchasing Pilot Program, which allows residents to pool their resources to buy multi-family homes with City-backed 0% interest deferred loans.
“Co-purchasing can make buying a home more accessible and make sharing meals and moments a built-in part of life,” she said.
Wu also announced the city would be expanding the existing office-to-residential conversion program to include universities and employers looking to reactivate office buildings as dorms or workforce housing.
“We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to building, preserving and reimagining housing all over our city,” Wu said.
Wu highlighted her collaboration with City Life, Related Beal and the Housing Acquisition Fund Partners to permanently protect residents of 347 homes in Fairlawn Estates who were facing evictions.
Gabrielle Rene, a community organizer with City Life, attended the address and said it felt “amazing” to see their accomplishment mentioned in Wu’s speech.
“We, as a group, worked for six years,” Rene said. “Now, we have 350 households who are going to be at peace knowing that their home is going to be theirs for a long time.”
Weber said he appreciated the work done with the Fairlawn Estates to solve Boston’s housing crisis.
“It’s an example for what we really should be doing as a city to make sure there’s affordable housing,” he said.
Wu also announced the launch of a Business Recruitment Office to further revitalization efforts in Downtown Boston. Wu said in the past year, Boston has added the most new liquor licenses since Prohibition, and large companies — like LEGO, Roche and Eli Lilly — have moved their headquarters to Boston.
Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, who recited a prayer before Wu spoke, said she appreciated how the city plans to use its resources.
“This has always been a pretty prosperous city, and that’s important,” White-Hammond said. “But, unless it makes it possible for everyone to feel that prosperity, then there’s nothing revolutionary about just being a rich city.”
