Two Years Later, Maura Healey’s Migrant Emergency Lingers

Time flies when you're having fun, or under a state of emergency that no one except Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey seems to understand the need for.

Seven months after taking office, Healey declared a state of emergency on August 8, 2023 over the migrant crisis in the Bay State. We are approaching the second anniversary with no indication of what will happen next.

Responding to a published report that Healey had extended the state of emergency through November, the governor's press secretary Karissa Hand told me, "That emergency declaration remains in place, and there is no requirement for the governor to extend it."

"However, as we approach August and the closure of the few remaining hotel shelters, we are evaluating whether the governor's emergency declaration should remain in place," Hand said.

Why Did Healey Declare a State of Emergency?

On August 8, 2023, Healey imposed the state of emergency "due to rapidly rising numbers of migrant families arriving in Massachusetts in need of shelter and services and a severe lack of shelter availability in the state."

At the time of the declaration, the Healey Administration said there were "nearly 5,000 families or more than 20,000 individuals in state shelter, including children and pregnant women."

Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus recently extended a capacity declaration by 120 days.

According to Hand, "The supplemental budget passed by the Legislature earlier this year required a capacity declaration be in place when the 'shelter system is...unable to meet all current and projected demand for shelter from eligible families in light of legislative appropriations."

What Reforms Have Been Implemented?

"It is this declaration that allows us to continue to implement reforms like the six-month length of stay and prioritization criteria, which have been effective in getting the system under control and are essential to prevent the system from growing unsustainably again," Hand said.

How Much Has the Migrant Crisis Cost Massachusetts?

Massachusetts taxpayers have spent billions of dollars funding the migrant crisis.

Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, told MassLive.com that the spending is "insulting to the taxpayers of our state."