Boston Sues Trump Administration to Recover $20 Million Grant

The City of Boston filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts on September 28, 2026, seeking to recover a $20 million federal grant withdrawn by the Trump administration. The funds were originally awarded in 2022 through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project.

The project aimed to improve safety, transit, and accessibility on Warren Street, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Melnea Cass Boulevard. However, the U.S. Department of Transportation cancelled the grant in September 2025, citing the project's inclusion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which the city notes represented less than 1% of the total cost.

Mayor Michelle Wu and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley characterized the withdrawal as an arbitrary and political decision that contradicts congressional intent to invest in underserved communities. The city, represented by the Boston Law Department and the Public Rights Project, argues that federal agencies cannot rewrite rules to fit changing political priorities at the expense of local residents.