Massachusetts Quietly Ends State of Emergency Over Migrant Surge

It's over, folks. The State of Emergency that gripped Massachusetts for nearly two years disappeared without warning or much fanfare on the first of the dog days of August 2025. Election fever must be in the air.

After Two Years, Emergency Quietly Ends

What I find amazing is that few people were aware that Governor Maura Healey declared a State of Emergency on August 8, 2023, and even fewer people knew she sounded the all clear last week – or, for that matter, cared. Of those who'd heard of the SOE, most probably didn't know what it was about or were impacted by it.

Once upon a time, emergency declarations were reserved for monumental events, such as the Blizzard of '78 and Hurricane Bob. Healey's predecessor, Charlie Baker, issued an emergency declaration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These days, an invasion of unwelcome migrants is enough to trigger a declaration.

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In the past, an announcement that the highways had been cleared of snow and were passable might have accompanied the cancellation of a declaration of emergency.

Visible signs of an emergency cancellation might include the restringing of basketball hoops and the removal of yellow crime scene tape at children's playgrounds, signifying that the pandemic was over.

What Healey's Declaration Meant for Migrant Policy

Last week, Healey's office announced the governor was "formally terminating an emergency declaration she issued in August 2023, which paved the way for reforms that successfully lowered the size and cost of the state's emergency shelter system."

Billions Spent, But Has Anything Changed?

Healey's "reforms" cost Massachusetts taxpayers billions of dollars and have only moved the problem from hotels to private apartments. The so-called "Right to Shelter" law that allowed illegal immigrants to swamp the system remains in effect in Massachusetts.

The Healey administration continues to dole out taxpayer money to illegals for housing and benefits, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve says it could cost Massachusetts taxpayers $4-$5 billion dollars before all is said and done.

Healey's Victory Lap or Political Strategy?

With a year to go before re-election, Healey is taking a victory lap without having achieved a victory. Perhaps the state of emergency should have stayed in place a while longer.