Mass. Gov. Healey Declares Migration State of Emergency
Massachusetts might consider itself a “sanctuary” for illegal migrants, but Democrat Gov. Maura Healey is declaring a state of emergency to keep up with “unsustainable” migration of tens of thousands flooding the state.
Healey’s announcement Tuesday seeks federal assistance for its nearly 5,600 families or more than 20,000 individuals in state shelter, including children and pregnant women. She called for “urgent” action from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a letter to him Tuesday, blaming “federal policies on immigration” for causing the “crisis.”
“State employees and our partners have been miracle workers throughout this crisis — going above and beyond to support families and using every tool at their disposal to expand shelter capacity by nearly 80% in the last year,” Healey wrote in a statement. “But in recent months, demand has increased to levels that our emergency shelter system cannot keep up with, especially as the number of families leaving shelter has dwindled due to a lack of affordable housing options and barriers to securing work.
“I am declaring a state of emergency in Massachusetts and urging my partners in the federal government to take the action we need to address this crisis by streamlining the work authorization process and passing comprehensive immigration reform. Many of the new arrivals to our state desperately want to work, and we have historic workforce demands across all industries.
“I am also calling on all of our partners — from cities and towns to the faith community, philanthropic organizations, and human service providers — to rise to this challenge and do whatever you can to help us meet this moment.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll made a plea at a Tuesday new conference to state residents to take in migrants, the Washington Examiner reported.
“If you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family,” she said.
Massachusetts has 7 million residents and the state’s sanctuary policies have refused to enforce federal immigration law, as urged by the Biden administration.
“Our Emergency Assistance system is designed to be a temporary, emergency safety-net program,” Driscoll wrote in a statement. “It is not equipped to handle the demand that we have seen in recent months. While we have made herculean efforts to expand capacity as much as possible, we’ve reached a point where the expansion is unsustainable.
“We know what it will take to truly address the root causes of this emergency — rapidly increasing housing production across the state and implementing comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, including work authorizations. We invite our partners in the federal government and across the Commonwealth to join us in advancing these solutions and supporting all families in Massachusetts.”
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https://www.newsmax.com/us/maura-healey-massachusetts-migrants/2023/08/08/id/1130072 Mass. Gov. Healey Declares Migration State of Emergency