Massachusetts has dispatched a team of officials to the southern border in Texas to dissuade migrants in federal custody from traveling to the state, according to a new report.
Staff from Gov. Maura Healey's (D-MA) administration are heading to four Texas cities, Brownsville, Hidalgo, McAllen, and San Antonio, to meet with migrants, federal law enforcement, and nonprofit groups to express concerns that shelters up north are at capacity and cannot accommodate more migrants, according to a statement shared with CBS News 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," Gen. Scott Rice, the state's shelter crisis director, said in a statement.
Rice will lead the outreach, though the statement did not specify the duration of the border trip.
"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," Rice continued.
Healey's office did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.
Massachusetts and other New England states, including Maine, have struggled to respond to the influx of migrants seeking housing, food, and jobs since the border crisis commenced in 2021.
Last August, Massachusetts, a “sanctuary” state, declared a state of emergency over its inability to handle thousands of illegal immigrants who arrived after being released from federal custody at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We need the Biden administration to compensate for the tremendous cost of sheltering the migrants,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) said at the time.
Two motels in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, have been used to house migrants, which hurts the town economy, particularly during leaf-peeping season when tourists visit to see the changing colors of trees. Sturbridge Town Administrator Robin Grimm said the effect on lost revenue and taxes is incalculable at this point.
The Biden administration touted $2.8 million in aid that the government has provided to Boston since October 2022.
Healey said at the time that the state could not financially or logistically respond to the 20,000 people living in state-funded shelters, hotels, dormitories, and other emergency facilities statewide — an 80% increase from a year ago. The state’s 1983 “right to shelter” law maintains that any family, regardless of immigration status, is guaranteed immediate state-provided housing.
Massachusetts’s 7 million residents join other localities, including New York City, Chicago, and Washington, that have grappled with the number of immigrants released into their communities from the border under President Joe Biden. All are sanctuary zones that have refused to cooperate with the federal government’s immigration policies and turn over criminal migrants to the Department of Homeland Security for deportation.
Since 2017, Massachusetts has rolled out initiatives to help immigrants, who are awaiting asylum and deportation proceedings years down the road, live normal lives while in the country. Just last month, the state began allowing any noncitizen residing in the state to obtain a noncommercial driver’s license.
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Illegal immigrants are also eligible for state assistance programs that cover the cost of food, as well as receive select healthcare coverage and financial assistance to pay rent, according to the state’s website .
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) mentioned the state’s sanctuary status when he flew a group of illegal immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. Residents on the island erupted at the move, which DeSantis argued was hypocritical given the state’s willingness to help migrants.
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