Massachusetts to boot illegal alien families out of overrun shelter system — but won't aid Trump's deportation efforts



Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) announced on Friday that her administration plans to cut state-run shelter costs by tightening stay limits for families with children.

At present, families have a nine-month stay limit in taxpayer-funded accommodations. However, this duration will soon be capped at six months.

'Governor Healey is only making this change so she can hang her hat on saying she is doing something.'

A Friday press release from Healey's administration framed the new policy as a cost-cutting measure to reduce the amount of taxpayer dollars going toward lodging to house homeless local and illegal alien families. Ultimately, the administration's stated goal is to phase out the use of hotels and motels from the state's shelter model, which has been overrun amid the ongoing immigration crisis.

The administration claimed the move would "help more families find stable, permanent housing."

Beginning on December 10, families will either be placed on the "Rapid Shelter Track," which offers a 30-day stay for those who can obtain "self-sufficient permanent housing," or the "Bridge Shelter Track," which provides six months of housing to "high-risk families and those with more complex needs."

Healey stated, "In recent years, the state's family shelter system has grown to be increasingly unsustainable. We've taken significant action to rein in its growth, and we've seen tangible results. The size of the system has remained stable for the past year, we no longer have families relying on Emergency Departments or the airport for shelter, and all shelter sites currently have a service provider instead of relying on the National Guard."

"More needs to be done so that Massachusetts taxpayers do not continue to be on the hook for this federal problem. The changes we are making will reduce costs, phase out the use of hotels and better meet the needs of all families," Healey added.

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll stated there is "clearly a consensus around making shelter brief, rare and non-recurring."

Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told Blaze News that the Healey administration's latest announcement is nothing more than "window dressing" that "will do very little to deter illegal immigrants and inadmissible migrants from coming to Massachusetts."

"They seek the taxpayer-funded housing and generous welfare benefits," Craney stated. "Governor Healey is only making this change so she can hang her hat on saying she is doing something. In reality, what she's been doing since she was elected Governor is make the situation a whole lot worse."

"Under the Governor's watch, they have expanded very generous welfare benefits for illegal immigrants and inadmissible migrants, making us a top destination in the country," he continued. "If the Governor wants to do something about Massachusetts being the top magnet state in the country, she should work with the new administration which is trying to solve the problem."

Healey stated earlier this month that her state police will "absolutely not" be cooperating with President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. She vowed to use "every tool in the toolbox" to "protect" illegal aliens from the incoming administration's efforts.

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ICE Nabs 3 Accused Child Rapists In Massachusetts As Governor, Mayor Remain Opposed To Trump’s Deportation Agenda

Ssignificant threat to our neighborhoods'

Massachusetts leftists vow to protect illegal aliens from Trump



Leftists in Massachusetts, one of the bluest states in the country, have pledged to protect the tens of thousands of illegal immigrants living there as a second term under President Donald Trump looms on the horizon.

On the campaign trail this year, Trump repeatedly promised to deport en masse many of the millions of illegal aliens who have stolen into the United States during the Biden-Harris administration.

"We're going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country, and we're going to start with Springfield and Aurora," Trump said earlier this year, according to USA Today.

Now that the American people have spoken and voted overwhelmingly to send Trump back into office, Massachusetts liberals claimed they will do all they can so that the commonwealth's 100,000 or so illegal aliens — who have drained untold millions in taxpayer-funded resources for the past four years — can stay where they are.

In response to MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell asking her on election night whether the Massachusetts State Police would "assist in mass deportations," Gov. Maura Healey (D) replied, "No, absolutely not."

Healey also told O'Donnell she would fight against any "pressure" exerted on state officials to cooperate in similar efforts.

"Every tool in the toolbox has got to be used to protect our citizens, our residents, and protect our states and certainly to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle," she added.

'Gov. Healey may feel her far-left Democratic base wants this, but this election showed us the vast majority of voters do not.'

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D) slammed what she called Trump's "deportation force" and promised to join forces with leaders across the country to stop it, even though polls consistently show that most Americans support deporting illegal aliens rather than granting them a pathway to citizenship.

"We are prepared for every scenario — obviously when he was president before, he led and started with a ban on certain populations and certain constituents," Campbell said, referring to Trump's previous ban on immigrants from some Muslim-majority countries. "We are well aware of that, and AGs came together then to work in partnership to combat that administration."

The City of Cambridge, a sanctuary city and the home of Harvard University, likewise pledged to "protect" all of its residents "regardless of their immigration status."

"As a Sanctuary City, Cambridge affirms the basic human rights and dignity of every human being and provides education, health and other critical services to all residents of Cambridge, regardless of their immigration status," said a statement from city spokesperson Jeremy Warnick.

Cambridge is also committed to "supporting and promoting the safety, health, and well-being of all of its residents," his statement added, according to the Harvard Crimson.

Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance claimed that these sentiments about illegal aliens are out of touch with most of the Bay State.

"Governor Maura Healey needs to begin listening to what the voters want instead of telling us what she thinks we should hear," Craney said in a statement to Blaze News. "Illegal immigration and inadmissible migrants are having a big negative impact on taxpayer resources, and the election was fueled in part due to this issue. Gov. Healey may feel her far-left Democratic base wants this, but this election showed us the vast majority of voters do not."

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Massachusetts Governor Healey comes up short when asked to defend one of Harris' bigger falsehoods



Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) appears to be auditioning for a job in a possible Harris administration. Things aren't going too well.

In a Sunday interview on ABC News, Healey was asked to explain one of the various falsehoods that the network initially let Kamala Harris get away with in last week's presidential debate. It quickly became clear that while Healey was heavy on rhetoric, she was short on answers.

During the debate, Harris dodged the question of whether she bore any responsibility for the botched Afghanistan withdrawal during which 13 American service members were slain and many more were left behind.

Before attempting to shift blame onto President Donald, Harris said:

I agreed with President Biden's decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Four presidents said they would, and Joe Biden did. And as a result, America's taxpayers are not paying the $300 million a day we were paying for that endless war. And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.

Martha Raddatz, co-anchor of "This Week," asked Healey about Harris' remarks, particularly her suggestion that there are no active-duty service members in a combat zone anywhere around the world.

"Our fact-checkers found that to be false," said Raddatz. "And I have a lot of experience in that area."

Raddatz was likely referring to her time reporting from Iraq as a national security correspondent and her extensive sources inside the Pentagon.

"There are currently 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria, 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq. All have been under regular threat from drones and missiles for months," said Raddatz. "We also have action in the Red Sea. We also — every single day the Navy SEALs, Delta Forces, special operators can be part of any sort of deadly raid."

'Did she not know about these people in Syria and in Iraq?'

"So why would she make that claim?" asked Raddatz, undoubtedly aware that Harris' remarks came just days after seven American troops were wounded in a deadly raid in Western Iraq.

Healey desperately tried to evade the question, saying, "What I think what's important here, Martha, is that Kamala Harris, in contrast to Donald Trump, demonstrated herself to be commander in chief."

"We are in a world where there are all sorts of conflicts," Healey continued, apparently referring to the Russia-Ukraine war and the latest Hamas-Israel war that kicked off while Harris was vice president. "It's all the more reason we need somebody who's serious and who supports the military."

Raddatz prevented Healey from retreating to the comfort of well-worn talking points, saying, "Governor, excuse me, but she said, 'There is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone.' That is not true."

"You say she demonstrated her ability to be commander in chief, but did she not know about these people in Syria and in Iraq? Why would she say that?" added Raddatz.

Healey tried passing off the falsehood as a "comment in a debate" and an attempt to make a "broader point," which the Massachusetts governor proved unwilling to share or unable to make up.

'She doesn't even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt.'

Growing visibly flustered, the governor desperately returned to well-worn albeit debunked talking points. Extra to claiming that "Donald Trump stands with Vladimir Putin," Healey repeated the baseless "suckers and losers" smear first advanced by the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg.

Healey continued her verbal flailing until Raddatz abandoned the effort.

Service members currently in war zones and veterans' families have criticized Harris over her false claim.

Brad Illerbrunner, whose son, Chief Warrant Officer Garrent Illerbrunner of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, was critically injured on Christmas Day, told the New York Post that Harris' lie "really [hit] below the belt. ... She doesn't even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt."

"We're still in war zones," said Illerbrunner, adding that the vice president was "trying to snow the public."

"If you're in Jordan in the middle of nowhere to fight ISIS, and you're getting attacked by Iranian drones and rockets on a daily basis, you're in a war zone," added Illerbrunner.

Three American soldiers were killed in Jordan by an Iranian proxy in January.

Footage has also appeared online of service members reacting to Harris' remarks while stationed abroad.

The Biden-Harris Pentagon has attempted to give Harris cover, noting in a statement obtained by the Wall Street Journal that "just because a service member is in one of these locations does not mean they are engaged in war. The U.S. is not currently engaged in a war and does not have troops fighting in active war zones anywhere in the world."

This, however, is a deception.

Although Congress hasn't declared a war since 1942, hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members have been killed in war zones in the years since. The technical wording appealed to here by the Pentagon and Harris would mean those who perished in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, and Vietnam don't count.

Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral, recently told Fox News Digital that despite the government quietly shutting down designations of war zones, one need only "ask: 'Is anyone getting combat-related hazardous duty pay?'"

"The answer is yes," added Montgomery.

Robert Greenway, a U.S. Special Forces combat veteran and former senior director for the National Security Council, said that the comment "is especially egregious, as she is the current VP and should know that we recently conducted a raid in Syria, killing a senior ISIS commander. Several U.S. troops had to be medically evacuated after another raid against ISIS in Syria."

"Several service members were wounded in Iraq when Al Asad Airbase was attacked by Iranian-sponsored terrorists less than a month ago, and our ships are under near-daily attack in the Red Sea," he told Fox News Digital.

Harris did not limit herself to falsehoods about the military during the debate.

The Democratic candidate also repeated the "fine people" hoax; claimed that Trump would be implementing the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025; claimed that Trump would ratify a national abortion ban; recycled the "bloodbath" smear; and claimed law enforcement officers died on Jan. 6, 2021, in reference to the Capitol riot.

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Massachusetts staying mum about $1 billion in 'secret' spending for illegal aliens, state GOP alleges



Massachusetts officials have spent nearly $1 billion on illegal aliens but have refused to give legal residents details about those expenditures, the state Republican Party claims.

The Massachusetts Republican Party has submitted Freedom of Information requests to more than a half-dozen state agencies, including the office of Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, to uncover more information about payments made in connection with illegal immigrants, according to a party press release issued earlier this week.

'Governor Maura Healey and Massachusetts legislative leaders have made Massachusetts into an international destination for illegal and inadmissible migrants, funded with very generous welfare benefits.'

In a statement, Massachusetts Republican Party chair Amy Carnevale alleged that the state's spending on illegal aliens has been "shrouded ... in secrecy" and designed to keep "residents in the dark."

Some Republican state senators introduced legislation that would have forced vendors — currently "profiting" off of this "crisis" — to bid on immigrant-related contracts, Carnevale continued. Such legislation would have made for a more transparent process and likely reduced the costs shouldered by taxpayers. Unfortunately, those efforts have been thwarted by "the Democratic supermajority," Carnevale said.

Additionally, at least 600 emergencies involving fire, police, and/or EMTs occurred at state-funded emergency housing, the state GOP press release claimed. Yet, once again, Gov. Healey and other the commonwealth leaders have "withheld critical information" regarding these incidents, Carnevale insisted.

According to Fox News, at least 355,000 illegal aliens reside in Massachusetts, and more than 50,000 have arrived in just the last three years. The outlet added that at least 10,000 of those illegal aliens are minors, 8,500 of whom are unaccompanied.

Carnevale alleged that amid this "crisis," Healey and other Massachusetts Democrats are hiding behind a "veil of secrecy," routinely "blocking journalists," and obstructing "the flow of information to the public."

"We stand with the Massachusetts press corps in declaring: enough is enough. The public deserves transparency. Release the details on the vendors profiting from this crisis and the public safety issues affecting our communities. On behalf of Massachusetts residents, we are demanding accountability," Carnevale stated.

Paul Craney, spokesman for MassFiscal, told Blaze News:

Governor Maura Healey and Massachusetts legislative leaders have made Massachusetts into an international destination for illegal and inadmissible migrants, funded with very generous welfare benefits. They have virtually no self control and refuse to implement policies that deter the flow. This latest estimate will only get much worse, unless our State House leaders take action to reverse their policies.

Healey did not respond to MassLive's request for comment.

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Massachusetts taxpayers now on hook for after-hours bail fees, thanks to new budget



Massachusetts has taken bail reform to a new level, forcing law-abiding taxpayers to shoulder the added cost of springing defendants from jail at night or on weekends, when courthouses are typically closed.

Since 2002, defendants in Massachusetts who want to be released from custody after hours have forked over a $40 fee to pay for a bail commissioner or magistrate to come to a police station to approve bail transactions or release the defendants on their own recognizance.

'This shows how out of touch these politicians have become, completely severed from reality.'

However, civil rights and social justice groups have since argued that such a system has a disproportional effect on certain racial groups, the Eagle Tribune claimed, and unfairly targets those of low income.

Those arguments seem to have won the day. Last week, far-left Gov. Maura Healey signed a budget that not only doubles the fee to $80 but that shifts that cost to the Trial Court — and by extension, to state taxpayers.

"The trial court shall be responsible for paying fees charged to take bail outside of regular working hours and any fee charged under this section for a bail taken outside of regular working hours shall be charged only to the trial court. Fee splitting arrangements are prohibited," the relevant section of the budget reads in part.

After fronting the $80 cost, bail commissioners or magistrates will then bill the Trial Court for reimbursement. Massachusetts lawmakers have already earmarked $4.8 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget to cover these costs.

Trial Court spokeswoman Jennifer Donahue believes that this arrangement is much more just for alleged offenders, telling the Eagle Tribune that it lifts the "financial burden from the individuals who can least afford it."

Donahue also noted that the change will likely encourage remote arraignments, further alleviating the inconveniences suffered by the accused. Remote hearings "shorten the time that individuals are held in custody, especially in rural areas, where traveling to the custodial facility could require an hour or more of travel," she claimed.

MassFiscal spokesman Paul Craney disagrees, noting that the system is already overrun and that the $4.8 million allocated for the new policy could be better spent elsewhere. "The state budget has become so bloated, and lawmakers are abusing the taxpayers to such a degree, that now Statehouse politicians think it’s ok to have taxpayers fund bail," Craney told Blaze News.

"This shows how out of touch these politicians have become, completely severed from reality."

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Massachusetts Bill Would Eliminate ‘Mother’ And ‘Father’ From Birth Certificates

Bill H.4750, described as "An Act to ensure legal parentage equality," changes language concerning paternity, children born out of wedlock, as well as mothers and fathers.

10% of Massachusetts workforce can't speak much English: Report



A new report from two DEI-driven organizations claims that roughly 10% of the workforce in the commonwealth of Massachusetts has "limited-English proficiency."

On Monday, MassINC, a nonprofit that works to promote "inclusive" economic opportunities in Massachusetts, and the UMass Donahue Institute, which wants to "advance equity and social justice" as part of the public and economic outreach for the University of Massachusetts President's Office, published a report calling for better "English for Speakers of Other Languages," or ESOL, services.

'Massachusetts cannot continue to fund the world’s illegal and inadmissible migrants. We simply do not have the capability or the funds.'

The report claimed that the need for ESOL is "urgent" since some 480,000 Massachusetts residents — roughly 10% of the state's workforce — lack important English-language skills. Such language issues prevent these "newcomers" from reaching "their full potential" and from contributing more substantively "to the commonwealth’s social and economic vitality," the report said.

What's more, the report indicated that these numbers might now be passé since they rely on data from 2022. As Massachusetts is the only right-to-shelter state in the union, thousands of illegal immigrants have been transported there from the border in the last few years, causing the migrant population to swell.

The immigration population has gotten so out of hand in Massachusetts that far-left Gov. Maura Healey has begun to offer illegal aliens free flights out of her state. "I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts," Healey said on Tuesday.

Despite the ever-increasing migrant numbers, the MassINC/UMass Donahue Institute report fretted that not enough has been done to accommodate them. "While Massachusetts has developed many creative models to deliver these services, state and federal ESOL spending has not kept pace with the growth of our foreign-born population."

The authors of the report also lamented that the state has not catered enough to the needs of migrants, noting that many of them "have limited access to transportation and struggle to find time for classes between work and childcare." Still, the authors believe that increasing migrants' English proficiency by just one level could generate $3 billion in additional earnings, the New York Post said.

Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance is less optimistic about the economic advantages of more ESOL programs and services, claiming that they attract more migrants who then further drain a system already stretched too thin.

"The report proves what many of us have been fearing for a long time, this is not a sustainable way for the state to operate moving forward," Craney told Blaze News. "Massachusetts cannot continue to fund the world’s illegal and inadmissible migrants. We simply do not have the capability or the funds. Massachusetts is the most generous state for welfare benefits for illegal and inadmissible migrants, and Governor Maura Healey needs to eliminate these magnets that make our state a top destination."

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Massachusetts offers illegal aliens free flights out of state as it tightens shelter stay limits



Massachusetts, the nation's only right-to-shelter state, is rolling out additional restrictions on its overflow shelters and offering illegal aliens free plane tickets to go elsewhere, according to a recent announcement from Governor Maura Healey's office.

Starting August 1, the administration will impose a five-day stay limit on its "temporary respite center[s]." This latest announcement comes just weeks after the state began sending out 90-day eviction notices to push some families to leave the state-run accommodations by September 29.

'A serious disconnect between Governor Healey and the actual conditions on the ground in Massachusetts.'

Currently, those residing in the state's overflow sites are subject to a 30-day stay limit with an option to reapply. After the new rules go into effect, individuals residing at the respite centers will have to wait six months or more to be placed in the state's emergency family shelter system.

According to Healey, there are currently 300 families residing in the state's overflow sites.

As part of Massachusetts' "reticketing" program, the state will cover the airfare and travel expenses for illegal aliens interested in leaving the state.

During a Tuesday press conference announcing the changes, Healey said, "I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts."

"We've also offered them the alternative path that they may wish to go to family members or ones they know elsewhere, communities elsewhere in the country, and I think that is a humane and appropriate thing to do," she said.

Healey asserted that the five-day stay limit was "in line with the policies of other cities facing similar challenges as Massachusetts and will help give families some relief for a few days while they access the diversion services we can provide, such as reticketing."

Healey previously declared in November that the state's shelter system had reached capacity, supporting roughly 7,500 families. Since then, the administration has relied on temporary overflow sites to provide shelter to illegal immigrants on the waiting list for more stable accommodations.

As part of Healey's recent announcement, the administration claimed it is not seeking to open additional overflow sites to handle the influx of new illegal arrivals.

Those who become homeless because of a no-fault eviction or sudden emergencies, such as floods or fires, will be prioritized to receive shelter space. Families with infants, veterans, and those with significant medical conditions will also be considered first for accommodations.

Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told Blaze News, "These are exactly the type of reforms that people have been asking her to make for months. That it took her this long to get to this point boggles the mind and points to a serious disconnect between Governor Healey and the actual conditions on the ground in Massachusetts. For the past months, the conversation has been all about the need to amend the state's right-to-shelter law. The fact that Governor Healey has felt she's had the power to unilaterally make these changes this whole time and chose to do nothing points to a serious lack of judgment on her part and should be investigated by the legislature."

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Democratic governor urges Biden to 'carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump'



Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, has urged President Joe Biden to consider whether he is the best candidate to beat former President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential contest.

"President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years. I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes," she said in a statement, according to reports.

"The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump," she added.

'Biden needs to step aside ... '

In the wake of Biden's poor debate performance last week, some on the political left have said he should bow out of the 2024 election.

"I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so," Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas said in a statement.

"Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings asserted, according to the New York Times.

But Biden, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, has declared that he will remain in the race.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has continued to staunchly support the president.

"I'm unwilling to discard a great president, a decent man and a loving father after 50 years in public service, over a 90 minute debate. Responding with disorder, panic and disloyalty is not meeting this moment," Fetterman said in a tweet.

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