Last updated: 3/13/25

City of Belonging

The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement launched the City of Belonging

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Residents can use this guide to learn about and share immigration resources.

Access and download the guide in other languages here.

The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) proclaims 2025 as the Year of Belonging, with the City of Belonging campaign launch. MOIA will integrate its goals to create a more inclusive Boston while addressing pressing challenges such as public sentiment and policy shifts on immigration, rallying support for immigrant communities, empowering resilience, and inspiring action with this campaign.

MOIA will invest in community resilience, safety, and well-being through a collective grant pool to fund:

communities directly impacted by immigration policies
programming that supports immigrant communities
language or legal access initiatives to advocate for better policies and address discrimination

Community-based and grassroots organizations registered as nonprofits or with a fiscal sponsor can apply to one of the funding streams to make their programs, events, or initiatives a reality.

What is a City of Belonging?

A City of Belonging is more than just a place. It's a community where immigrants and newcomers feel welcomed, respected, and valued, regardless of background or origin. It prioritizes diversity, equity, and social cohesion. It's a home where immigrants can thrive and fully participate in all aspects of life.

Making Boston a Home for Everyone

Collaboratively, MOIA’s funding, public engagement, research, and designation approval will establish Boston as one of the nation’s best cities for equity and inclusion in 2025 and beyond—uplifting Mayor Michelle Wu’s vision to make Boston a home for everyone.

Have questions? Contact:

Immigrant Advancement
immigrantadvancement@boston.gov
617-635-2980
1 CITY HALL SQUARE, ROOM 806

BOSTON, MA 02201-2030

Community Insights Survey

With a community-wide needs assessment, MOIA seeks to hear directly from immigrant and refugee communities in Boston to inform its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan and shape the City’s long-term planning. The survey is open to Boston residents until February, is available in 11 languages, takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and accepts responses in paper and online formats. Community partners have been engaged in sharing the survey and gathering responses from Boston’s diverse communities since October 2024.

Take the Survey

MOIA Resources

Phone Immigration Consultations with Volunteer Lawyers - Free 15-minute phone immigration consultations for Boston residents to speak with volunteer lawyers. The City is not responsible for any advice received and cannot guarantee the sufficiency, accuracy, or confidentiality of any information shared during consultation.
Monthly Community Office Hours - Monthly Community Office Hours are available to connect to MOIA and other City services at the east Boston and Codman Square branches of Boston Public Library. For additional support, residents can contact MOIA's constituent services by emailing immigrantadvancement@boston.gov.
Anonymous Survey - MOIA seeks to hear from Boston residents, immigrants, and refugee communities directly to inform its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan and shape its long-term planning. The anonymous survey is open to Boston residents, is available in 11 languages, takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and accepts responses in paper and online formats.

Pathway for Immigrant Workers (PIW) - The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) and Pathway for Immigrant Workers (PIW) hold information sessions on green card sponsorship for low-wage immigrant workers.
Immigrant Information Corners - Resource centers in Boston Public Libraries, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and YMCAs. They have materials in different languages with information about citizenship, financial empowerment, and public and community resources. The City also hosts events for the immigrant community at these locations.
Immigrant Youth Advancement - A leadership and work-readiness program for immigrant students.
Citizenship Day - The event is an opportunity for people who are eligible for naturalization to get free legal help with their citizenship application.

Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights

1. The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition has FREE Know Your Rights trainings and multilingual downloadable resources. Training covers basic Know Your Rights information, including rights in interactions with immigration enforcement when immigration comes to your home or stops you while driving, family preparedness, public charge, where to get legal help, and information on fraud and immigration scams.

2. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has different civil rights education and training resources:

Immigrant-specific Know Your Rights guides.
ACLU MA Chapter general civil rights webpage.

3. Here is a list of contact information the U.S. Department of Justice provides for legal organizations that assist immigrants.

4. Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT) - a civilian body that investigates complaints of police misconduct.

Know Your Rights cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center can be shared with community members.

The artwork for printing your own cards is available below. These are formatted as standard 3.5” by 2” business cards. Translated versions are designed to support immigrants in translating their rights with immigration officers.

Any print or copy shop should be able to work from these files.
You can also print them on your printer.
Typically, the cards are printed with rounded corners (rounding out the corners with scissors when cutting) and using durable bright paper, which allows them to be easily found in a wallet or purse and contrast well with black ink.
Lamination is optional and best with rounded corners.

Artwork for printing your own red cards in multiple Languages:

Emergency Family Plan

Create a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan. This plan should include emergency phone numbers and family contact information, childcare plans, and a file of important documents, among other things.

If your immigration document/status expires soon, consult an attorney or authorized community-based organization for guidance on the renewal process before expiration.
Consult an immigration attorney. An attorney can help address specific concerns, including questions about your immigration status. ONLY seek guidance and advice from immigration attorneys and/or organizations with Department of Justice Accredited Representatives. To confirm if an attorney is licensed in Massachusetts, look them up on the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
Continue accessing public benefits you have and qualify for (healthcare, education, transportation, etc.). Organizations that help with questions include Healthcare For All and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
If you are an employer, understand what you can and cannot do if immigration agents come to your workplace.

Documents and Services:

Get your Massachusetts driver's license. All residents can apply for one under the Work and Family Mobility Act. A driver’s license provides valid identification and helps reduce the risk of entering the criminal law system if authorities stop you.
- The RMV’s policy prohibits information-sharing with immigration authorities, and regulations from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office prohibit the RMV from providing information to immigration authorities.
Connect with an immigrant-serving community-based organization in your neighborhood. While some shared messages may aim to divide, scare, distract, and separate us, finding support through groups and neighbors to foster community and solidarity can be constructive. A community list is linked here.
Remain calm, read multiple news outlets, and ask for help. Remember that people sometimes spread unverified news and might have different interpretations of what is happening. Find more than one news resource and contact MOIA, community organizations, elected leaders, or legal aid organizations to understand what is happening.
Use the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) to be connected as an individual directly to clinical mental health help 24/7. Services are free and confidential, and interpretation is available in 200+ languages. No health insurance is required. Call or text 833-773-2445.

Order Posters

order posters

Order free first-edition City of Belonging multilingual posters to feature prominently across homes, storefronts, community spaces, restaurants, and other public areas.