A not-so-cheap stunt

This could turn out to be a long — and expensive — mayoral election year as the pandering over immigrants continues unabated.

Yesterday City Councilor Tito Jackson made good on his promise to pursue a city-funded Immigrant Legal Defense Fund — because, well, there just aren’t enough lawyers working pro bono on behalf of immigrants who are either already here or arriving at Logan Airport while the Trump administration travel ban is still on hold.

Jackson is challenging Mayor Marty Walsh for mayor — of course, the councilor is. And since Walsh has already characterized such a fund as a “slippery slope,” well, Jackson saw an opportunity and yesterday jumped in with both feet. City taxpayers who have to pay for their own lawyers when fighting their legal battles might feel a little put upon, but apparently Jackson is willing to take that chance.

The legal community in Boston and elsewhere, along with advocacy groups, have already stepped up to fight the travel ban and to aid those from the currently impacted countries.

Yesterday the cities of Chelsea and Lawrence filed suit challenging President Trump’s executive order aimed at socalled sanctuary cities and the threat to withhold federal funds. If the order is as sloppy and overly broad in its drafting and execution as the travel ban, they likely have a good case.

The suit charges the order is “a major affront to basic principles of federalism and the separation of powers.”

That may be a cause worth pursuing. Throwing taxpayers’ money into a bottomless legal fund is just another — in this case — not-so-cheap publicity stunt.