Boston News Today: Breaking Updates, Key Headlines, and Must-Know Alerts

BOSTON — In the latest Boston news, a fiery mayoral forum in Dorchester Wednesday night laid bare the city’s deep divide over immigration policy, pitting incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu against challenger Josh Kraft and two additional candidates in a confrontation that repeatedly veered into shouted interruptions and crowd jeers. The packed auditorium at Prince Hall Grand Lodge, just blocks from the Mass & Cass corridor, erupted when Kraft—son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft—promised to “stand with our immigrant community wholeheartedly” and “defy any mass-deportation order from a future Trump administration.” Organizers were forced to halt proceedings for several minutes as opposing factions traded chants over Boston’s long-standing “sanctuary city” protections, underscoring how immigration has become the flash-point issue of the 2025 campaign season. KEY MOMENTS FROM THE DEBATE • Wu defended Boston’s sanctuary status, noting that “29 percent of residents were born abroad” and crediting immigrant inclusion for the city’s ranking as “safest major city in America.” • Community activist Domingos DaRosa urged balancing support for new arrivals with long-time Bostonians competing for housing and jobs. • Conservative contender Robert Cappucci pledged to cooperate fully with federal immigration agents, drawing applause from a smaller but vocal segment. • Transportation, rent control and an elected school committee also surfaced, yet each topic circled back to how new migrant inflows strain city budgets, public schools and roadways. WHY IT MATTERS FOR BOSTON VOTERS 1. Public Safety: Boston Police data show a 12 percent uptick in calls along Mass & Cass as recently arrived migrant families crowd temporary shelters. 2. Housing Costs: Median rents jumped 7.4 percent year-over-year, according to Zillow’s April index, amplifying pressure on City Hall to cap annual increases. 3. Federal Funding: A potential Trump White House could target sanctuary jurisdictions for cuts, leaving Boston’s FY 2026 budget gap estimated at $84 million by the city auditor’s office. CAMPAIGN TRAIL AHEAD • Three televised debates are tentatively slated for June, including a WBZ-TV primetime clash that may draw a record regional audience. • Mail-in ballots go out Aug. 5; Election Day is Sept. 9. • Political action committees have already spent $3.8 million—double the figure at this point in the 2021 cycle—as outside groups test digital ads focused on immigration. WHAT’S NEXT Mayor Wu heads to Washington next week to lobby for FEMA reimbursements tied to migrant housing, while Kraft will unveil a “Neighborhood First” policing plan in East Boston—home to one of the city’s largest immigrant populations. Analysts predict turnout in majority-immigrant precincts could decide the race, making every statement on immigration fodder for campaign clips and social-media micro-targeting. BOTTOM LINE Boston’s sanctuary status, once a niche policy, now dominates the 2025 mayoral contest and search-engine traffic alike. As candidates sharpen their contrasting visions, voters searching for “Boston news” will keep finding one theme: the future of America’s oldest big-city sanctuary hangs in the balance this fall.