Massachusetts calls up National Guard to help with immigrant crisis as shelter system overwhelmed
Misty Severi
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Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) on Thursday ordered 250 members of the state’s National Guard to help manage its immigrant crisis by providing basic services at emergency shelter hotels.
Healey instructed the units to help facilitate the coordination of transportation, food, basic needs, and medical care for the 6,000 families and 20,000 people in total who are being housed in emergency shelters. The majority of asylum seekers in Massachusetts are in families that include pregnant women and children.
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“Massachusetts is in a state of emergency, and we need all hands on deck to meet this moment and ensure families have access to safe shelter and basic services,” Healey said in a statement. “We’re grateful to the brave men and women of the National Guard for stepping up to help us ensure that every family in emergency shelter has their needs met, including access to food, transportation, medical care, and education. While we work to implement a more permanent staffing solution, the National Guard will provide an efficient and effective means of delivering these services and keeping everybody safe.”
The activation comes after Healey declared a state of emergency over the crisis, becoming the latest sanctuary state to make such a declaration. Healey called on Washington, D.C., to help Massachusetts because the state cannot financially or logistically respond to the 20,000 people living in state-funded shelters, hotels, dormitories, and other emergency facilities statewide — an 80% increase from a year ago.
The state’s 1983 “right to shelter” law maintains that any family, regardless of immigration status, is guaranteed immediate state-provided housing. New York City, which has seen the largest influx of migrants outside of the border states, has a similar law and is also facing an overwhelming surge of immigrants. More than 100,000 immigrants have entered New York City since spring of 2022.
Chicago and Washington, D.C., have additionally struggled to respond to the number of immigrants released into their communities from the border under President Joe Biden. All are sanctuary zones that have refused to cooperate with U.S. government immigration authorities.
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Healey is also launching regional rapid response teams to help oversee shelter sites. They will serve as a direct link to Healey’s administration, which includes Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll (D-MA).
“This National Guard activation is a necessary step to ensure that families in emergency shelter have access to the services they need to stay safe and healthy,” Driscoll said. “This is an emergency measure that will help us meet immediate needs while we continue to advocate for assistance from the federal government in the form of streamlined work authorizations and funding.”