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A group of migrants have been forced to move to Boston’s Logan Airport because the “sanctuary city” has run out of beds to sleep in.
The group of up to twenty people, including babies, were sleeping under blankets on sofas on Friday.
They arrived in Boston as the Massachusetts shelter limit reached its maximum and there is an impasse over how best to spend $250 million on emergency shelters.
These migrants have been placed on a waiting list after the state’s emergency shelter system reached a maximum of 7,500 families last week.
Massachusetts has a right-to-shelter law that requires it to provide housing for the homeless, but Gov. Maura Healey warned the state is running out of space.
Migrants have been forced to move to Boston airport as the ‘sanctuary city’ runs out of beds to sleep in
On Friday, a group of up to 20 people, including young children, were seen sleeping under blankets on couches
Massachusetts has a right to shelter law that requires it to provide housing for the homeless, but Governor Maura Healey (pictured) warned the state is running out of space
Migrant families have been sheltering at Boston Logan International Airport as the city continues to grapple with a surge in demand for shelter.
People slept on couches with blankets over their heads and mothers were seen holding their children in the airport terminal.
The migrants are said to have arrived on a flight from San Antonio, Texas, and their belongings were strewn across the floor.
Governor Healey, a Democrat, warned others considering going to Massachusetts that there is no more room.
“Massachusetts right now, destination-wise, winter is coming, it’s going to be cold, we just can’t promise you a bed,” she said Friday.
State police and airport workers cleared migrants from airport terminals.
Edward Freni, interim CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority, said, “We must emphasize that Logan Airport is not a suitable place to house people.
“Some people come in late at night. We try to help them when we see them, but usually we catch them early in the morning and move them to the centers for help.”
Elsewhere in Boston, migrants crowded into the Immigration Family Services Institute (IFSI) office in Mattapan seeking help.
But there remains a long waiting list for those who need shelter.
“We’re talking about Thanksgiving, when everyone comes to enjoy a meal with the whole family,” said Dr. Geralde Gabeau, Executive Director of IFSI.
“So, what will compel those who have been placed on the streets, after all the trauma and hardship they have endured, to be here?
‘And everyone is enjoying a meal, I don’t find it acceptable that they are standing on the street in the cold.’
Senior White House adviser Tom Perez said a work permit clinic that launched this week has already helped more than 1,000 migrants.
Migrant families have been sheltering at Boston Logan International Airport as the city continues to grapple with a surge in demand for shelter
People slept on the floor and on couches with blankets over their heads in the airport terminal
They were placed on a waiting list after the state’s emergency shelter system reached a limit of 7,500 families last week
“We will continue these efforts in the coming weeks to support more eligible migrants in submitting their work permit applications,” he added.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting local jurisdictions hosting recently arrived migrants and we will continue to work with our partners in Massachusetts in the coming weeks and months.”
The Massachusetts Legislature ended its formal session for the year Thursday without reaching a deal on a $2.8 billion spending bill that included hundreds of millions of dollars to address the state’s emergency shelters, which are buckling under the strain of migrant and homeless families.
Both the House and Senate bills would send $250 million to the shelter system, but a conference committee was unable to resolve other disagreements early Thursday.
Lawmakers entered the holidays with uncertainty clouding the state’s response to the emergency shelter.
Some groups scorned lawmakers for failing to act. The Massachusetts Teachers Association said in a statement that it was “shocked and, quite frankly, disgusted” by lawmakers’ inaction on the supplemental budget.
“This is yet another stain on a legislature that is struggling to meet its obligation to serve the public interest,” the union representing 117,000 members said in a statement.
Across the region, advocates have relied on a patchwork of temporary shelters, including churches, hospital waiting rooms and even airport lounges.
The spike in demand is driven in part by migrant families entering the state. According to Democratic Governor Healey’s administration, about half of current shelter cases are newcomers to Massachusetts.
The administration is working with groups to find temporary housing but has been reluctant to release some details of its plan, including the location of a clinic it has sponsored with the Department of Homeland Security to help migrants obtain work permits.
Lawmakers won’t formally meet for votes until the new year, but they could resolve their differences in informal sessions. However, legislative rules make it easier to derail bills during informal sessions.