Massachusetts Governor Asks Residents to House Illegal Border Crossers
FAIR Take | July 2023
Following the trend of sanctuary jurisdictions attracting illegal aliens, Massachusetts has seen a surge in the numbers of “new arrivals” into the state which has led to a housing crisis. As part of the solution, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) is now asking Bay State residents to house illegal aliens, mostly Haitians and Central Americans, in their homes to temporarily address the crisis which has been fostered and exacerbated by President Joe Biden’s open-border policies. As a “right to shelter state,” the surge of illegal invaders has overwhelmed Massachusetts’ resources.
Massachusetts is currently housing over 1,400 families in 40 hotels in 28 cities and towns at taxpayer expense. The average length of stay is approximately 14 months. The last time the state’s shelters served this many people was October 2014. “If we look back a little over a year ago in the [former governor’s] administration, that number was 15,” said State Representative Peter Durant (R-Worcester). “Either we have had a massive spike of homelessness, or the vast majority of these people are illegal immigrants.” The Office of Housing and Livable Communities estimated the total cost for housing families at hotels would likely be $2.6 million for fiscal year 2023 and $10.7 million for the following year.
As a “right to shelter state”, Massachusetts is required to provide eligible families with shelter through its emergency assistance program. In addition to providing housing to the illegal aliens, the state also covers other services including education, food assistance, and medical care.
According to Governor Healey’s office, “The uptick in newly-arrived families coupled with challenging housing market conditions in the commonwealth, among other factors, have resulted in a sizable increase in families seeking shelter in the emergency assistance system.”
On June 23, the Healey administration opened the “Family Welcome Center” for illegal aliens entering Massachusetts. This center will furnish the illegal aliens with services, support, and transportation to shelters. At the time, Governor Healey would not even suggest that illegal immigration was a problem. “In Massachusetts,” she said, “we are committed to ensuring that families have access to safe and secure shelter. Over the past year, we’ve seen a steady rise in shelter demand due to the rising cost of housing, more families arriving in our nation and our state from other countries, and delayed federal work authorizations. Our administration has been working hard to meet this unprecedented need and use every resource at our disposal to help families.”
Besides being a “right to shelter state”, Massachusetts attracts illegal aliens because it is also a sanctuary state. Massachusetts became a sanctuary state in 2017 when Massachusetts’ supreme judicial court in 2017 decided, in Lunn v. Commonwealth, that state and local law enforcement cannot honor federal immigration detainers. At that time, State Attorney General and now Governor Healey hailed the Lunn decision as a victory for “smart immigration and criminal justice policies, and a rejection of anti-immigrant policies that have stoked fear in communities across the country.”
The housing shortage, coupled with the state’s attractiveness to illegal aliens, is a boon to those seeking to exploit the situation. Criminal cartels charge migrants to cross the border and fees range from $4,000-20,000. Because many illegal aliens cannot afford the fees, they are indebted to the cartels and must work to pay off their debts. This indebtedness invites exploitation when they reach Massachusetts, with many being trafficked. A recent survey found that 64 percent of labor and sex trafficked victims indicated they were recruited when they were experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.
According to a recent FAIR report, there are approximately 316,000 illegal aliens currently living in Massachusetts. These illegal aliens cost each Massachusetts household nearly $1100 annually.