Mass. moving migrants out of Logan Airport, gov’t says state is out of room

Starting July 9, migrant families will no longer be permitted to sleep at Boston’s Logan International Airport. Since the summer of 2023, migrants have been using the airport as a temporary refuge after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, bussed thousands of migrants who had crossed the southern border to sanctuary cities across the U.S.

In November 2023, the Massachusetts State Emergency Shelter System reached its capacity of 7,500. The system provides assistance to people living in poverty, pregnant women under the age of 21, and those who lost housing due to fire or no-fault eviction, among other qualifications.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, D, hopes this decision sends a message to the U.S. southern border that the state is out of space.

Healey's administration announced that it is working to relocate migrant families from the airport to a new safety-net site. Families on the emergency assistance shelter waitlist will be offered transfers to a former prison site in Norfolk, where eligible families can stay for up to nine months, according to a press release.

Healey emphasized that migrants looking to come to Massachusetts must arrange their own shelter accommodations, excluding both Logan Airport and state-run shelters.

“We’ve given enough lead time to work with case managers and service providers in finding new locations for people,” Healey said. “We’ve also made it clear that we won’t be able to provide housing, nor will staying at Logan Airport be an option anymore.”

State officials report increased efforts to provide migrants with work authorization applications, job placements, English classes and reticketing options. In May, 300 families left the state-run emergency shelter system, and officials expect this number to continue rising in the coming months.

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