(LibertySociety.com) – Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants have poured across the southern border of the United States every month for the last three years. Democratic governors, mayors, and lawmakers who welcomed the mass influx are now scrambling to find shelter for the endless arrivals. Massachusetts government officials recently asked residents to consider opening their homes to illegal migrants, as hotels and shelters have reached capacity. Massachusetts state law requires the state to provide housing for all homeless families. Democratic Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in August 2023 to manage the crisis and request federal assistance.
Taxpayers are footing the bill to house 1,400 families spread out across 40 hotels around the state. On average, most of these families are staying in the hotels for 14 months, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Republican state Representative Peter Durant said last year that Massachusetts went from housing 15 families in 2022 to almost 2,000 in 2023. The state spent $2.6 million to house illegal migrants in 2023 but expects to spend around $10.7 million this year.
The state has also sought the help of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to convince residents to take illegal migrants into their homes. The Immigrant Support Alliance has held several information sessions to discuss the “rewards, challenges, and insights” that come from hosting an illegal migrant family. Some residents have begun to worry that the state will attempt to force residents to house the illegal migrants to avoid violating state law. Some state lawmakers believe the law should be changed, but there is little to no chance of that happening with Democrats holding the majority. Howie Carr, who is a columnist for the Boston Herald newspaper, recently blasted state officials for pushing residents to house illegal migrants who have likely not been properly vetted by the Biden administration. Officials have not publicly considered the risks associated with residents allowing strangers to stay in their homes, including physical safety and potential exposure to foreign diseases.
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