Massachusetts officials urge public to consider housing undocumented immigrants.
Massachusetts Officials Call on Citizens to Open Their Homes to Help Address Shelter Shortage
Massachusetts officials are urgently seeking assistance from residents as the state grapples with a severe shortage of shelters for illegal immigrants.
The plea to citizens was made on Wednesday, following Democratic Governor Maura Healey’s declaration of a state of emergency regarding the migrant crisis.
During a press conference, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll emphasized the pressing need for housing and shelter, urging residents to consider hosting a family if they have an extra room or suite in their homes.
The Democrats of Massachusetts are now calling on people to house unvetted migrants.
Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll: “If you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family.” pic.twitter.com/heJxdJIpZm
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 10, 2023
Governor Healey had previously mentioned the importance of residents stepping up to help when she declared the state of emergency.
“This is a national issue that demands a national response,” Healey said during a press conference at the State House in Boston.
“In the meantime, we’re simply asking the federal government to use the tools already available to give these brave parents a chance to work and support their families. At the same time, we’re calling on everyone in Massachusetts to come together, help us meet this moment in our state, and offer a helping hand,” Healey said.
It remains uncertain whether any Massachusetts residents have responded to the state’s call and offered to house a migrant family in their home.
The state of emergency will expedite the process of creating or renting more migrant housing and allow the National Guard to intervene swiftly if necessary.
Healey stated that the state currently provides shelter for nearly 20,000 people, including many illegal immigrants. The number of sheltered families has risen from 3,100 to over 5,600 in the past year. Among those in need of shelter are infants, young children, and pregnant women.
In the last 48 hours alone, approximately 50 migrant families have arrived in Massachusetts by plane from other states, according to Healey.
“It’s exponentially more than our state has ever served in our emergency assistance program,” she said. “These numbers are being driven by a surge in new arrivals in our country who have been through some of the hardest journeys imaginable.”
Massachusetts has a 1983 “right-to-shelter” law that mandates the immediate housing of eligible families with children, regardless of shelter availability.
The governor attributed the crisis to the slow pace of work authorizations, which can take months. Healey wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, requesting expedited work clearance for migrants and financial assistance from the federal government.
Earlier this year, migrants in Massachusetts began seeking refuge in emergency rooms due to lack of overnight accommodations.
Prior to the state of emergency declaration, Massachusetts had taken several drastic measures to house migrants, including utilizing motels, vacant college dormitories, two new “welcome centers,” and the military base on Cape Cod, which received 49 migrants from Florida last autumn.
Many migrants from Haiti have chosen to head to Massachusetts, likely due to the large Haitian population in Boston.
Other states and cities are also struggling with an influx of illegal immigrants in need of shelter.
New York City is on the verge of reaching its capacity as it currently houses 55,000 migrants at its own expense, putting a strain on homeless shelters.
On Monday, NYC Democratic Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to establish a tent city on Randalls Island in the East River, with the capacity to accommodate up to 2,000 adult migrants. He described the effort as a “Herculean” task to secure enough shelter beds every night.
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