Massachusetts to offer new five-day stay limit for migrants, plane tickets to leave

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey is announcing sweeping new changes to the state’s emergency shelter system effective on August 1st.

The state will limit stays in overflow shelters to five days for migrants beginning next month.

Healey said that the state must prioritize vulnerable Massachusetts families over migrants.

The state is offering to pay for plane tickets and other travel expenses for those who want to leave.

“I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.

Massachusetts shelters will prioritize those become homeless because of a no-fault eviction or sudden circumstances like a flood or a fire.

Any family that includes a veteran or a newborn baby or someone with significant medical issues will also be moved to the front of the line.

Hundreds of migrant families currently staying in the four state-run overflow shelters in Chelsea, Norfolk, Cambridge and Lexington are currently able to stay for 30 days with options to re-apply.

However, they will be transitioned to a five-day stay limit next month.

“Five days in an overflow shelter is not enough time to make a plan for where to go next,” said Jeff Thielman, President & CEO of the International Institute of New England.

Thielman said the state’s new five-day stay policy doesn’t give migrants enough time to apply for authorization documents to get jobs.

“We are a destination state. We’re a state where people go to settle. They’re going to be here for the long term. It’s not a short term state,” he added.

Senate President Karen Spilka said Massachusetts did not create the country’s immigration problem and cannot bear the burden.

“This is a federal issue. We still need federal help. We need federal immigration reform,” said Spilka.

Governor Healey sent a migrant crisis team to the Texas-Mexico border last month to emphasize that Massachusetts shelters are at capacity.

She said no new overflow sites will be opened in Massachusetts to accommodate the overwhelming need.

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