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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More than 100 illegal aliens are sleeping on the floor at Boston's airport



The number of illegal immigrants camping out at Boston Logan International Airport appears to have increased in recent months, according to several news reports.

Currently, more than 100 people are sleeping on the floor in the airport's baggage claim area, the New York Post reported.

'We don't want families staying at Logan Airport.'

Late last month, Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to a "minor altercation" between two families staying in Terminal E, Lt. Sean Quirk told WCVB.

"Troopers identified two families who were involved in a disagreement over the use of a power outlet," he said. "The involved families were separated with one leaving the terminal."

In response to the incident, Governor Maura Healey stated, "We don't want families staying at Logan Airport. We continue to call on Congress to act to deal with what's happening at the border, in terms of reform here."

Massport did not confirm whether the number of illegal aliens sleeping in the airport has recently doubled, WFXT reported. However, it noted that the individuals are not at the airport during the day, as they are transported to state welcome centers.

Massachusetts, the only right-to-shelter state in the country, ran out of emergency shelter space in November after reaching capacity at approximately 7,500 families.

Healey's office announced last month that it plans to convert Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk, a decommissioned prison, into overflow shelter space for roughly 400 homeless families, Blaze News previously reported. The new emergency shelter was slated to open sometime this month.

Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice previously told WCVB that the facility, which features dorm-like rooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a common room, and offices, is still "in good condition." The state also plans to create a play area for children and classroom spaces for adults to attend language courses, workshops, and job training.

Healey's office stated that the new planned safety-net site will be used to house illegal immigrants currently residing at the city's airport.

Jim Lehan, a member of the Norfolk Select Board, previously expressed concerns that the town's elementary school does not have enough space to accommodate an influx of additional children.

He stated that the town was "taken back a little bit" by the state's plan to convert the shuttered prison into a safety-net site.

"When you have no knowledge of it, and you start getting phone calls about something you have no idea what they are calling about. That was a little tough," he said. "All we know is we have got people coming here and we have got issues that are related to it, and we are going to have to work our way through it."

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Massachusetts houses children with sex offenders: Report



Homeless illegal immigrant families with children were placed in Massachusetts shelters that also housed or employed registered sex offenders, according to a recent Boston Globe investigation.

The state-run emergency shelter system used at least five hotels and a dormitory to house or employ registered sex offenders, the outlet's report stated. Families, many illegal aliens with young children, were housed under the same roof, it claimed.

'This shouldn't be happening.'

The criminals were reportedly convicted of crimes against children, including rape, indecent assault and battery on children, and child pornography.

The findings suggest that the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the state agency that manages the emergency shelter program, failed to vet employees and residents properly. The agency told the Globe that it is in the process of removing the sex offenders, noting that none of them are illegal immigrants.

Kevin Connor, a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, told the news outlet, "The safety and wellbeing of the 7,500 families in Emergency Assistance shelter is a priority for our administration."

"We will continue to take all possible steps to ensure the safety of EA residents and carefully review any situation that comes before us to act quickly to protect families," he added.

Approximately half of the families utilizing the state emergency shelter system are illegal aliens.

In March, a 26-year-old male allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl at the Comfort Inn in Rockland. Both the male and the girl were Haitian nationals residing in the hotel that was converted into a shelter for illegal immigrants. Prior to that incident, a registered sex offender was living and working at the hotel for more than two years, according to the Globe.

Terrence Flaherty, a Massachusetts resident residing at the Comfort Inn with his teenage daughters, told the news outlet that the state needs to inform families about the registered sex offenders.

"These posters of sex offenders are hanging out at the police station, they should be here," he stated. "There are a lot of kids here."

Carline Desire, executive director of the Association of Haitian Women, told the Globe, "This shouldn't be happening."

"They need to get those sex offenders out," Desire remarked.

The state housing agency told the news outlet that it checks shelter addresses against the Sex Offender Registry Board twice per year.

A 2019 state audit revealed that the agency did not regularly conduct the checks or alert families when sex offenders were present.

The Globe reported that it is not possible to do a thorough investigation of sex offenders at all shelters because state agencies have refused to provide a comprehensive list of the shelter locations.

Leah Bradley, the chief executive officer of the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, defended the state.

"The state kept kids from dying," Bradley told the Globe. "The state's choice was to immediately house families so children weren't sleeping on the street, so that babies who can't regulate their temperature wouldn't die. This was a value choice."

The state's emergency shelter system reached capacity at 7,500 families in November. Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in August over the influx of illegal aliens arriving in Massachusetts, the only state with a right-to-shelter law.

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Massachusetts to use National Guard armory as shelter for illegal immigrants despite building's ongoing use



Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey's office plans to convert a National Guard armory in Lexington into a temporary "safety-net" shelter for illegal immigrants, the Boston Herald reported Monday.

The Lexington Armory is roughly 35,000 square feet and includes an assembly hall, a mess hall with classroom space, a kitchen, showers, and administrative space.

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities stated that nine Massachusetts National Guardsmen are currently using the building to complete administrative tasks. Despite the facility's planned conversion into a shelter space, the guardsmen will continue to use the building daily.

Emergency Assistance director and retired Air National Guard Lt. Gen. Scott Rice told the news outlet that the armory will provide housing to 55 families. According to the Boston Herald, the site will also be open to homeless American families. The governor has claimed that many individuals utilizing the state's emergency shelter program are Massachusetts residents.

"We have identified a state-owned building in Lexington to use as a safety-net site for families experiencing homelessness. Preparations are underway in close collaboration with local officials, and we expect to open the site next month," Rice told the media outlet.

Many of the illegal immigrants who will move into the facility are currently residing at the Melnea Cass recreation center in Roxbury, one of Boston's poorest neighborhoods. Healey received a wave of backlash earlier this year for her office's decision to convert the space into an overflow shelter for illegal aliens. The community center is scheduled to reopen in May.

The MassGOP released a statement responding to the governor's decision to turn the armory into a shelter space.

"For years, homeless veterans have occupied our streets without access to the necessary options. Democrats didn't take such extreme measures to house homeless individuals until the migrant crisis took over Massachusetts. Now, we're witnessing these transitional housing facilities cropping up across the Commonwealth and veterans still aren't prioritized within the system. Representative Brad Jones made an attempt to address this through a recent amendment, but shockingly, Democrats swiftly shot it down. Clearly, Democratic priorities are not aligned with the values of the residents of the Commonwealth," MassGOP stated.

"It's crucial to emphasize to residents that the individuals slated for housing here and at all of these transitional sights do not fall within the 7,500 families limit imposed on the shelter system. They are categorized as 'in waiting.' The migrant population in the Commonwealth far surpasses the cap, with no end in sight. It's worse and more costly than folks realize," MassGOP added.

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation with a right-to-shelter law. Many have called for the law to be overhauled amid the ongoing illegal immigration crisis that has overwhelmed the state's emergency shelter system, which has a cap of 7,500 families.

According to the EOHLC, 7,483 families were in the state's shelter system as of Friday, the Boston Herald reported. Another 350 families are residing at "safety-net" sites while they wait for more long-term accommodations.

The influx of illegal immigrants seeking shelter is expected to place a significant financial burden on state taxpayers, totaling nearly $1 billion per year. Massachusetts budget writers reported that the state is currently spending $75 million monthly to support its shelter system, according to the Boston Herald.

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Families in Massachusetts overflow shelters must reapply monthly, demonstrate attempts to become independent



Families residing in Massachusetts overflow shelters must reapply monthly while providing evidence of their attempts to move out of the shelter and become independent, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced on Monday.

According to a recent press release, Healey’s administration is tightening its restrictions on the state’s overflow shelters. The governor believes the additional requirements will encourage families to find alternative, more stable housing while the state continues to contend with an over-capacity shelter system amid the ongoing migrant crisis.

Starting on May 1, families residing in overflow shelter sites will be required to undergo a recertification process each month to continue their stay. Their reapplication must demonstrate attempts to find a path out of the shelter. Families who do not provide this evidence may not be eligible to remain in the state’s shelter system.

Families with children and pregnant women are eligible for the state’s Emergency Assistance shelter program. The state noted that “less than half” of the families utilizing the emergency services “are new arrivals to Massachusetts.”

“During this recertification process, they will be evaluated on whether they have participated in state-provided services to help them move toward independence, including applying for a work authorization, participating in a workforce training program, submitting job applications, taking English classes, and engaging in a search for housing. Families will be permitted to remain at sites as long as they continue to engage these services and activities,” read the press release from Healey’s office.

Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice called the new measure “a responsible step” toward addressing the state’s overwhelmed shelter system.

“We have said for months now that our system is at capacity, and we do not have the space, providers or funding to continue expanding,” Rice stated. “Families will need to demonstrate that they’ve taken action to get on a path toward independence and out of shelter.”

According to Healey’s office, the state’s shelter system has been “operating at capacity for months.”

“Last fall, the administration announced that the system could no longer safely or responsibly expand and established a waiting list. Families who qualify for EA and are on the waiting list are eligible to stay at the state’s safety-net sites, which currently serve approximately 200 families,” the press release added.

Families currently utilizing the EA program and new applicants will be notified about the policy change. According to Healey’s office, the new measure does not affect those staying at shelter sites operated by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

The state plans to open an additional overflow shelter site next month at the former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home facility, which has been vacant and was scheduled for demolition. The new facility will be able to provide shelter space to roughly 100 families.

Healey told reporters on Monday, “It’s important as we look to manage this responsibly.”

“If they don’t have a good reason for not fulfilling requirements then they will lose their spot,” she continued. “The whole idea of this is to divert people from our emergency shelter system, to get them on a different path.”

Paul Craney of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told Blaze News that Healey and the Massachusetts legislature have repeatedly voted against reforms that could have solved the state's migrant crisis.

"The Governor's plan utterly fails to address the underlying cause of the fiscal, humanitarian, health care, and housing crises we are currently facing. So long as we give people, anywhere in the world, a blank check to receive Massachusetts public benefits, people will continue to fight tooth and nail to get here and collect those benefits," he stated.

"No amount of reapplication requirements will fix this. The Right to Shelter law was designed to ensure the indigent and homeless of the Commonwealth had access to housing, not to act as a clearing house for people flooding across our open southern border," Craney added.

"If the House is actually serious about solving this crisis, then they need to focus on reforming the generous taxpayer funded benefits offered, starting with a residency requirement for the state's right-to-shelter law," he continued. "This will at least act as a deterrent so the entire world isn't trying to get in line for free housing in one of the most expensive housing markets on the planet."

Elizabeth Sweet of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition expressed concern that the new measures will "create unnecessary red tape, sow confusion, and ultimately, place more families on the street."

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