Gov. Maura Healey says the state's shelter system is in crisis, and this week she declared a state of emergency aimed at helping migrants from other countries who are pouring into the state. According to the Healey administration, some 5,600 migrant families are currently living in state-funded shelters — including hotels and college dorms — compared to 3,100 last year. With that increase, the governor says, the state's shelter system is "simply running out of capacity."
Given that the migrant surge has been building for months, why did Healey wait until now to issue her declaration? If the newly declared state of emergency ultimately yields more federal funding, how quickly might they come? And what other advantages could that declaration offer? Adam Reilly is joined by GBH News reporter Sarah Betancourt, who's been covering this story closely as it unfolds.
How would you grade Massachusetts’ response to the influx of migrants? Email us your thoughts at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org, or share them via the Talking Politics page.
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