Massachusetts Republicans are accusing Gov. Maura Healey of secretly spending over $1 billion on illegal immigrants. This accusation cam...
Massachusetts Republicans are accusing Gov. Maura Healey of secretly spending over $1 billion on illegal immigrants.
This accusation came after Healey warned that the state no longer has the resources nor the space to house migrants in its emergency shelter system, which is expected to reach maximum capacity very soon.
"We are not ending the right-to-shelter law. We are being very clear, though, that we are not going to be able to guarantee placement for folks who are sent here after the end of this month," Healey stated during a recent press conference.
"I want to assure you that we will continue to engage, assess, and serve every family who appeals for help as best we can," she added.
The number of families housed in the state's shelter system has doubled over the past 12 months to 7,000. The total number of people being accommodated is now above 21,000, and over 50 percent of that population is composed of illegal immigrants. Those figures are expected to exceed 7,500 families comprising around 24,000 people by the end of August.
The Bay State has become increasingly attractive to a large number of migrants as it is the only state required by law to provide shelter to homeless families following the implementation of the 1983 "right-to-shelter: law.
Last month, Healey was forced to declare a state of emergency and deploy the state’s national guard to assist in dealing with the influx of migrants into Massachusetts.
Republicans demanding investigation into $1 billion migrant spending
Republicans have formally requested information from the Massachusetts state government regarding $1 billion in expenditures on the migrant crisis. The Massachusetts Republican Party has called upon Healey’s administration to provide a comprehensive cost breakdown detailing the financial impact on state residents.
"The Healey-Driscoll Administration has shrouded nearly $1 billion spent in secrecy, leaving Massachusetts residents in the dark," said state party Chairperson Amy Carnevale. "They have withheld critical information on 600 incidents involving police, fire and EMT. Blocking journalists at every turn, the administration has obstructed the flow of information to the public."
Carnevale has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking detailed information on the allocation of funds for migrants. The request demands the names of government and private entities involved in providing housing, the specific locations of migrant housing, correspondences related to public safety issues, and relevant police or incident reports.
The request follows a report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) highlighting the strain on state resources due to the increasing number of migrants. CIS projects state spending on migrants reaching $1.8 billion over the next two years and warns that the state may have already spent over $1 billion on its Emergency Assistance shelter program for migrants.
In addition to the immediate costs of housing migrants, the CIS reports that spending on education, social services, health care and public safety have increased due to the sudden influx of an estimated 355,000 migrants in Massachusetts.
Illegal aliens in Massachusetts are filling hotels and motels across the state, with whistleblower claims detailing how migrants are being lavished with benefits in one of the hotels now "closed to the public," at the behest of the state and the nonprofits with which it partners.
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