Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group, is suing the City of Boston over public records it says the city failed to produce for internal emails and costs tied to the mayor’s defiant pro-sanctuary press conference that featured a mariachi band.

The lawsuit filed Monday in Suffolk Superior Court alleges that the City of Boston has flouted the public records law, by not responding to a records request submitted by Judicial Watch on Aug. 20.

It relates to a rally-like press conference Mayor Michelle Wu held at City Hall to publicly defy a federal order to dismantle the city’s sanctuary protections for illegal immigrants. The city has since been sued by the Trump administration.

“Mayor Wu staged a racist political spectacle instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement — even as dangerous criminal aliens are at large in her city,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Thursday in a statement. “Boston residents deserve to know why the mayor’s office refuses transparency about this event and why City Hall is stonewalling lawful public records requests.”

Judicial Watch is seeking internal emails sent by the mayor and her immediate staff regarding an Aug. 13 letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that ordered Wu to dismantle the city’s sanctuary protections, namely the Boston Trust Act, which limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

The conservative group also requested internal city emails related to the appearance of a mariachi band at the press conference, along with records documenting the cost of the hiring of that Spanish-language band, per the lawsuit.

Judicial Watch contends that the city has failed to respond within the timeframe required by the state’s public records law.

Related Articles

Boston City Council backs calls for Mayor Michelle Wu to provide updated cost for White Stadium

Boston City Council votes to set tax rates, homeowners to see 13% tax increase

Boston city councilor demands White Stadium cost update from mayor amid budget crunch

Boston Mayor Wu’s tax battle intensifies ahead of City Council vote to set residential tax hike at 13%

‘Unacceptable’: Boston homeowners to see 13% tax hike next year, state certification confirms

“Because defendant has failed to produce all records responsive to plaintiff’s request or demonstrate that the requested records are lawfully exempt from production, plaintiff is being irreparably harmed and will continue to be irreparably harmed unless defendant is compelled to comply with the law,” the lawsuit states.

Mayor Wu’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

The Department of Justice sued the City of Boston over its sanctuary policies on Sept. 4, two weeks after Wu held the City Hall press conference, where she vowed that “Boston will never back down” from its pro-sanctuary stance in response to Bondi’s letter.

The federal lawsuit was filed against the City of Boston, Mayor Wu, the Boston Police Department and Police Commissioner Michael Cox.

The city has filed a motion to dismiss the DOJ complaint.