BOSTON — City Hall erupted in drama Wednesday when Councilor Ed Flynn blocked a resolution that would have symbolically put the council behind Mayor Michelle Wu’s latest fight with Washington.

Wu’s allies Liz Breadon, Julia Mejia, and Benjamin Weber tried to fast-track the measure after Wu sent a fiery August 19 letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, vowing Boston would not help federal authorities with immigration enforcement.

But Flynn pulled the plug. Using a council rule that lets one objection kill a measure on the spot, he warned colleagues that City Hall is wasting time on symbolic politics while neighborhoods are overwhelmed by real crises.

“In their zeal to fight Washington, we’re losing sight of neighborhood issues,” Flynn said, pointing to cracked sidewalks, busted potholes, and Mass and Cass, where residents live every day with addicts slumped on their stoops.

Flynn stressed he wasn’t against protecting vulnerable residents — but blasted the idea of councilors playing Congress while the basics go ignored. “We need to refocus ourselves on city and neighborhood issues,” he said.

Breadon called the moment “unprecedented” and Mejia vowed not to “silence her values,” saying Boston must remain welcoming. But critics note that symbolism won’t clean up Mass and Cass, fix streets, or restore a sense of safety in neighborhoods.

Council President Ruthzee Louijeune cut off debate and sent the measure to committee after Flynn’s objection, leaving Wu’s allies fuming.

For ordinary Bostonians, the question lingers: why is the mayor of Boston acting like a member of Congress, while the city’s core problems only get worse?