Blue state deploys officials to the border with surprising warning for migrants

A blue state has deployed officials to the southern border in Texas to warn migrants that their shelters are full, as it struggles to house the numbers of migrants it is seeing. 

Massachusetts’ Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced on Tuesday that she had sent members of her administration to the border, citing “record” numbers of migrants coming to Boston. 

Officials will make connections with federal agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and migrant families “to educate them about the lack of shelter availability in Massachusetts.” They will visit airports, migrant shelters, ports of entry and migrant welcome centers in San Antonio, McAllen, Hidaglo and Brownsville.

MIGRANTS CONTINUE TO STREAM INTO BOSTON AIRPORT AS MORE THAN 100 SLEEP ON THE FLOOR

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey takes questions from reporters, Jan. 31, 2024, during a news conference in Boston. (Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

“This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the U.S. and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts,” Scott Rice, emergency assistance director general, said in a statement. 

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“It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go,” he said.

Healey first declared a state of emergency in the state in early August, and later activated the National Guard to provide services. Recently, it implemented a limit on stays in emergency shelters to nine months. 

MASSACHUSETTS CLOSES COMMUNITY CENTER TO PUBLIC TO SHELTER MIGRANTS, PROMPTING BACKLASH

A worker walks through Boston’s Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex, which had 300 Army cots set up to accommodate migrants, on Jan. 31, 2024. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

But it is one of a number of areas across the U.S. that has struggled with a flood of migrants coming in via the southern border and being released. There were more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY23. Some migrants make their own way to destinations, while others are being bussed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – who began bussing migrants to sanctuary cities in 2022.

Many Democratic-run states and cities have struggled to cope with the numbers of migrants they are seeing. Multiple mayors have urged the Biden administration to give them more federal funding, as well as expedited work permits to help migrants get jobs more quickly and be less reliant on social services. 

Healey has previously touted the more welcoming approach her state has taken, even though it has increased the pressure on her state.

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“Many of these families are migrants to Massachusetts, drawn here because we are and proudly have been a beacon to those in need,” Healey wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last year.

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Recently, more than 100 migrants were seen sleeping on the floors of Boston’s Logan International Airport as it is used as a makeshift shelter due to shelters reaching their maximum capacity. 

In a statement, Healey’s office says it has prioritized work authorizations, job training, English classes and rehousing assistance. It says it has helped 3,785 migrants apply for work authorization, and enrolled more than 1,100 in English classes.