Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in connection with a sharp uptick in the number of migrant families arriving in Massachusetts and needing shelter. The governor coupled the order with what she called an “urgent and formal appeal” for the federal government to act on immigration policy.
Nearly 5,600 families with children — more than 20,000 people total — are living in state-funded shelters, hotels, dormitories and emergency facilities across the state, Healey said. That number is up from around 3,100 families a year ago, according to the governor's office.
“It’s more families than our state has ever served, exponentially more than our state has ever served, in our emergency assistance program,” she said. “Those numbers are being driven by a surge in new arrivals who have been through some of the hardest journeys imaginable. They are the face of the national — international — migrant crisis. They’re here because where they came from is too dangerous to stay. They’re here because Massachusetts has and will always be a beacon of hope, compassion, humanity and opportunity.”
Healey sent a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, saying that while Massachusetts is adding shelter units by the week, she fears that "without extraordinary measures ... we will be unable to add capacity fast enough to place all eligible families safely into shelter."
“We need action to remove barriers and expedite federal work authorizations,” Healey said at a State House press conference, flanked by advocates and members of her administration. “We need action and intervention for funding to help us in this time. The truth is, our new arrivals are most eager to work.”
The letter cites federal policies on immigration and work authorization as one driver of the crisis, and asks the federal government to step up by removing barriers to receiving work authorizations, addressing "outdated and punitive immigration laws" and providing states with financial help.
The current surge in migrants locally comes as record-breaking number of immigrants arrive to the U.S. from Mexico, including Haitian and South American immigrants who are seeking asylum after fleeing political turmoil and gang violence. It also coincides with the end in May of Title 42, a Trump-era provision that allowed the immediate deportation of most migrants arriving at the southern border.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's administration has bused many of these migrants to Washington, D.C., and New York City. Advocates say some migrants have continued from New York City to Boston.
Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll also announced the creation of the Massachusetts Migrant Families Relief Fund, a partnership between the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and The Boston Foundation, kickstarted with donations of $100,000 from Eastern Bank and $50,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The fund, Healey's office said, will help meet migrants' essential needs, including food, diapers, transportation and hygiene items, plus other assistance like English classes, legal assistance and health screenings.
Driscoll also put out a call for Massachusetts residents to help in whatever way they can, from donating grocery gift cards to a college president or faith leader working with the state to set up extra shelter sites.
“Most importantly, if you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family,” Driscoll said. “Safe housing and shelter is our most pressing need.”
Anyone interested in hosting a family or learning more information can contact the Brazilian Worker Center, she said.
Healey also cited a “longstanding shortage of affordable housing” as a contributing factor.
Her letter to Mayorkas says the demand for emergency shelter "has skyrocketed" over the past six month, while the number of families leaving emergency shelter for safe, permanent housing has declined. It says the state of emergency will let her issue orders and recommendations to help protect people and property, expedite procurement and deployment of goods and services, and facilitate aid requests from federal, state and local partners.
“This is a national issue that demands a national response,” Healey said.
Massachusetts law allows a governor to issue a proclamation declaring a state of emergency when the state is facing a natural or human-made disaster, civil disturbance or certain other threats. A declared emergency grants the governor additional powers, including the ability to seize property and order business closures.
The last state of emergency in Massachusetts was declared by then-Gov. Charlie Baker on March 10, 2020, as COVID-19 took hold. That designation ultimately lasted for 462 days before the state transitioned into a modified public health emergency that remained in place until this past spring.
In a statement on Aug. 17, Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand clarified that Healey's declaration was fundamentally different from Baker’s declaration as COVID-19 took hold. In that declaration, Baker specifically invoked state laws that gave him additional powers.
In contrast, Hand said, Healey's declaration was essentially a statement that a dire situation exists and that she plans to use the ordinary, pre-existing powers of the governor's office to address it.
"The Governor will use all the powers granted to her to issue recommendations, directions, and orders to address the shelter crisis," Hand said. "It is both an alert and a call to action."
The flow of migrants has heightened in recent months, but they’ve been coming to Massachusetts for at least a year and a half in earnest.
Esther, a young migrant from Haiti, said Tuesday that she arrived here with nothing to her name in September 2021.
“I came with my child and I was pregnant,” she said. “I was hospitalized when I first came, and after they removed my baby, and they sent me to Immigrant Family Services Institute, which helped me find an apartment to stay.”
Esther and her child, who was born healthy, were aided by the Immigrant Family Services Institute, which has been working with the state to support migrant families.
Dr. Geralde Gabeau, the head of IFSI, said her organization has seen a number of migrant new mothers in recent months.
Father Bill's & MainSpring, an organization that runs state-contracted shelters south of Boston, has been helping migrants coming here for some time, including those who were brought to Martha’s Vineyard by planes chartered by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year.
Of the 150 families that Father Bill's & MainSpring shelters every day, over 30% are migrant families, organization president John Yawzinski said. He noted that rate has been growing steadily.
“We're really excited and thankful that the governor is basically opening up the tent and asking for the federal government, local officials, philanthropy, all stakeholders in the community to come together for this tremendous challenge,” Yawzinski said.
Yawzinski added that a big challenge for migrants is obtaining work authorization, so they can earn money and access benefits like public housing.
The president of Horizons for Homeless Children, an organization that contracts with the state to provide childcare services at emergency shelters, is eager to see what impact the state of emergency will have on the ground.
“I'm hoping that what the state of emergency will do is bring funding into the state to help us find other healthier locations to put these families in and where we can have additional services, both for the children and for the parents onsite inside these facilities,” said Kate Barrand.
She wants to provide on-site mental health services to the children at the shelters, which she says is direly needed.
“A child in one of these shelters literally played out their experience at a Border Patrol crossing,” she said. “They lined up little tiny dolls in line with police cars all around them — that's a child processing trauma in a healthy way.”
