A liberal state known for its “sanctuary” status may soon run out of money as they continue to struggle with the effects of the migrant crisis.
Officials recently said that the state is spending roughly $75 million per month on migrant shelters, and could run out of money as soon as next month.
Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, hasn’t revealed just when the cash will run dry, but the Boston Herald reported that it’s expected to happen sometime by either the early or middle of April.
In speaking with the Herald recently, Matt Murphy, a spokesman for the governor’s Executive Office for Administration & Finance, said:
“We don’t have any further updates at this time. We are encouraged by the progress the Legislature has made and look forward to working with them to finalize the supplemental budget as soon as possible.”
Over the last few months, a huge surge of illegal immigrants have made their way to Massachusetts, putting a huge strain on the shelter system in the state, as well as its overall finances.
There are roughly 7,500 families living in these emergency assistance shelters, with another 240 being housed at overflow sites. Those numbers also don’t even include illegal immigrants who are single or homeless American citizens who are living in the shelters.
Massachusetts’ legislature is in the process of negotiating the next spending plan, and lawmakers are being tasked with finding a way to infuse millions of dollars into the budget, just so the government’s full services can be funded.
Democrat Aaron Michlewitz, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, told the Herald recently:
“I’m hopeful that once we get into this discussion with our counterparts that we’ll be able to produce something with time to spare in terms of any funding running out.”
On Monday, the governor announced one new initiative that could help alleviate the logjam at these emergency shelters. Any migrant who wants to continue to be housed at one must show that they’re attempting to obtain housing or work.
Back in October, Haley warned that Massachusetts would soon no longer be able to guarantee that migrant families will receive shelter. The shelter system reached its capacity because of all the illegal immigrants coming to the state.
At the time, Healey said:
“We are entering a new phase of this challenge — we can no longer guarantee shelter placement for families who are sent here.”
A state of emergency was declared last August because of this issue, which allowed the governor to activate 250 members of the state National Guard at the shelters and hotels that are currently housing the migrants.
In the time since, Healey has been adamant that the federal government needs to provide financial aid to the state, while also speeding up the process for migrants to obtain work visas.
Other liberal cities and states around the country are also struggling mightily with the influx of illegal immigrants. Chicago and New York City are both dealing with budget constraints thanks in large part to a shelter system that’s full to the brim.
