‘Our shelters are full’: Healey sends Bay State officials to southern border amid migrant crisis

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey has sent a team of state officials to the southern border to discuss the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts, as record numbers of migrants continue to arrive in Boston.

The goal of the trip is to connect with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and non-governmental organizations and families “to educate them about the lack of shelter availability in Massachusetts,” the governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

“This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the U.S. and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts,” Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice said in a statement. “It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go.”

The team is visiting the San Antonio Airport, Centro de Bienvenida/San Antonio Migrant Resource Center and Shelter, Ursula Processing Facility in McAllen, Hidalgo Port of Entry, and Brownsville Migrant Welcome Center, officials said. San Antonio, McAllen, Hidalgo and Brownsville are the most common points of entry for families that later arrive in Massachusetts.

In a statement Tuesday, MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale called the trip “a publicity stunt.”

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration’s recent decision to send its members to the border is nothing more than a publicity stunt that will neither address the migrant crisis in Massachusetts nor reduce the influx of migrants entering the Commonwealth,” Carnevale said.

Rice is leading the team, which includes the Emergency Assistance Incident Command deputy director, pre-shelter policy lead for Incident Command, executive director of the state Office of Refugees and Immigrants, and strategy manager at the Division of Housing Stabilization.

Earlier this month, state officials announced that notices to families reaching length-of-stay limits in the state’s emergency shelter system will begin going out in July, amid a migrant crisis in Massachusetts.

In March, state officials announced new requirements for migrants. The state’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system has been operating at capacity for months amid a large influx of migrants to the Bay State. Dozens of migrants have been often seen sleeping overnight inside Logan International Airport.

The Emergency Assistance program is for families with children or pregnant women who are experiencing homelessness, state officials said. Approximately half of families in the state’s Emergency Assistance system are new arrivals to Massachusetts.

Last fall, state officials said that the system could no longer safely or responsibly expand and the state established a waiting list. Families who qualify for Emergency Assistance and are on the waiting list are eligible to stay at the state’s “safety-net sites.”

Last year, Healey announced the system reached capacity at 7,500 families.

The state has appropriated $10 million for workforce training programs to assist residents in the state’s emergency shelter system. The Department of Revenue has also issued guidance on Wednesday on the administration of a Temporary Authorized Training Tax Credit for businesses and corporations that provide training to residents of the state’s emergency assistance shelters.

Healey said her office has prioritized work authorizations, job training and placement, English as a second language classes, and rehousing assistance to help families leave emergency assistance sites for more stable housing.

Since November 2023, the state has helped 3,785 immigrants apply for work authorizations, and it is expected the vast majority have been approved, Healey said. Overall, 1,120 emergency assistance program residents have gotten jobs in the past few months.

The number of families leaving the state’s emergency shelter system has steadily increased each month, with more than 331 families leaving in May, the highest number in years, officials said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group