City Council - Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement Committee Hearing on Docket #0409

• Date: June 04, 2026
• Time: 2:14 PM
• Governing Body: Boston City Council Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement
• Meeting Type: Committee Hearing
• Chair: Councilor Miniard Culpepper
• Councilors in Attendance:
  • Miniard Culpepper (Chair)
  • Julia Mejia (Vice Chair)
  • Edward Flynn
  • Brian Worrell
  • Henry Santana
  • Enrique Pepén
  • Liz Breadon

The hearing addressed Docket #0409, an order for a hearing on the civil rights, constitutional, and legal implications of the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), the Associative Violence Information System (AVIS), Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), and participation in federal joint task forces.

Key Discussion Points:

• Purpose of Hearing: Councilor Culpepper stated the goal was to balance public safety with constitutional rights and due process, ensuring transparency and accountability in data collection.
• Funding Concerns: Councilor Mejia noted the recent announcement of $13.47 million in Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding for the Metro Boston region, expressing concern that these funds incentivize harmful surveillance.
• Federal Cooperation: Councilor Santana and Councilor Flynn discussed the history of federal grants, including a $12 million grant accepted in December 2024 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for regional cooperation.

The first panel featured researchers and legal experts who argued that BRIC functions as a tool for social control rather than counterterrorism.

• Brendan McQuaid (University of Southern Maine): Described BRIC as a "spy center" with 50 personnel and an annual budget between $2 million and $8 million. He highlighted a $4 million contract with Sentra Technology and argued that 84% of BRIC's documents are merely "crime blotters" used to monitor dissent and marginalized populations.
• Fatima Ahmed (Muslim Justice League): Reported that BRIC surveils constitutionally protected activities, including social media posts from local organizations and elected officials. She noted that DHS and FBI agents embedded in BRIC have access to local data, facilitating federal enforcement.
• Heather Arroyo (Massachusetts Law Reform Institute): Explained how BRIC data, such as old juvenile records and Field Intelligence Observations (FIOs), are used by ICE to facilitate mass deportations. She stated, "The BRIC is directly fueling the mass deportation machine."
• Maya Schaefer (Investigative Journalist): Provided a personal account of being targeted by BRIC for documenting warrantless searches at the 2015 Boston Marathon. Her information was shared in real-time with federal agencies and used in a DHS presentation.

The second panel focused on the specific harms to immigrant communities and the "strings attached" to federal funding.

• Ali Finn (AI Now Institute): Described the UASI grant as a "Trojan horse." She noted that DHS now requires local governments to allocate at least 10% of awarded funds toward border crisis response and enforcement to access the grant. She stated, "DHS now requires local and state governments to cooperate with ICE in order to access millions of UASI funding."
• Sarah Sherman-Stokes (BU Law): Shared the case of "Orlando," a student deported due to an unsubstantiated gang affiliation entry in the BRIC database following a school cafeteria argument.
• Wendy Lazo (NUBE): Testified to the climate of fear in East Boston, stating that residents are afraid to report crimes or interact with police due to the risk of information sharing with ICE.
• Reverend Annie Gonzalez (BIJAN): Highlighted the emotional toll on families, noting that the gang database often relies on arbitrary markers like clothing color to label youth as criminals.

Several members of the public provided comments regarding the expansion of surveillance technology:

• Alex Matthews (Digital Fourth): Warned that new AI technologies allow analysts to surface an individual's entire online footprint without adhering to legal constraints like 28 CFR Part 23.
• Susan Moyer (Old Dykes): Argued that mass surveillance supports authoritarianism and that resources should be redirected toward environmental and social needs.
• Bernadette Murphy (Retired Teacher): Expressed concern over the lack of documentation in social media monitoring and the labeling of students in databases.
• Nathan Phillips (BU Professor): Shared an experience of FBI agents appearing at his home, suggesting that even privileged residents are subject to opaque and intimidating law enforcement tactics.

Councilor Mejia indicated that a second hearing would be necessary to question the administration and BRIC officials directly. She urged her colleagues to recognize that their votes on federal grants impact the entire city, regardless of their specific districts. Councilor Culpepper concluded by stating, "Boston has to watch Boston. If we're so focused on Washington, the things that we're focused on in Washington will be happening in Boston."