Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts announced a state of emergency on Tuesday in response to a surge in migrants looking for shelter at a time when the price of already scarce housing is rising.
Approximately 5,600 families, or more than 20,000 people, including newborns, small children, and pregnant women, are currently residing in state shelters.
That represents an increase of approximately 80% from the 3,100 families from a year ago, according to Healey. A large portion of the migrants are flying in from other states.
She claimed that 50 migrant families had arrived in the state just in the last 48 hours and were in need of refuge.
It’s significantly more than our state has ever provided in terms of emergency aid, she said. “These numbers are being driven by a surge of new immigrants to our nation who have endured some of the most difficult journeys imaginable,” said the report.
According to Healey, the migrants who are coming to Massachusetts are the face of the global migrant issue and are arriving at a time when the state is already facing a housing shortage. In a letter to the U.S., she pleaded with the government for financial assistance and, more urgently, for expedited work authorizations so that the recent newcomers could locate jobs and begin earning a living more swiftly.
Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of homeland security.
Healey identified work authorizations as the main cause of the crisis in the letter. Currently, she claimed, getting the authorizations can take weeks, months, or even longer.
“Our newcomers are quite ready to get to work. Being dependant is the last thing they want, she said. Healey stated that she is reissuing a call to those interested in sponsoring a family in their home as well as to neighborhood organizations that can help families looking for refuge as part of the emergency declaration.
To aid migrants, the state has also established a new migrant relief fund. The donations will go toward a variety of necessities for migrants, such as food, clothing, diapers, and transportation, as well as health examinations, translation services, legal support, and English classes.
Massachusetts is mandated by law to offer qualified families shelter through its emergency assistance program since it is a right-to-shelter state.
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