The Angels.- The governor of Massachusetts, Democrat Maura T. Healey, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to to the lack of migratory shelters due to the increase of migrant families seeking refuge in that state.
The Democrat said in a statement that the emergency serves as a warning to the government of President Joe Biden and the state of Massachusetts itself, about the “unsustainable” situation, as it joins the affordable housing crisis facing the state.
There are currently more than 5,600 migrant families and more than 20,000 people in Massachusetts shelters, including children and pregnant women.
Healey has sent this Tuesday a letter to the Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, in which he stressed that work permits for migrants were essential to address this crisis, and he has called for the issuance process to be expedited.
He also requested that the funds allocated by the federal government be increased so that states can provide shelter and services to migrant families.
The governor called a “miracle” the work done by the state and community organizations that have responded to the crisis by expanding the capacity of shelters by more than 75% in the last year.
However, the Democrat stressed that “in recent months, the demand has increased to levels that our emergency shelter system cannot meet, especially since the number of families that are able to get out of shelters has decreased due to a lack of affordable housing options and barriers to getting a job.”.
The Democrat once again called on community and religious organizations to continue collaborating with the state to serve migrants, and on Congress to approve immigration reform.
