Maura Healey and Michelle Wu face essential exams this week as they attain self-imposed deadlines on limiting migrants and cleansing up the drug-riddled Mass and Cass neighborhood zone.
Healey is planning to cease admitting migrants and the homeless to motels and shelters on Wednesday however faces a authorized problem from a civil rights group.
Liberal-on-liberal crime can get particularly ugly.
Healey is staring down a lawsuit from the Boston-based group Lawyers for Civil Rights, which argues that the state should give the Legislature 90 days’ discover earlier than altering the state’s shelter system of dealing with migrants and homeless.
“The idea that the state would want to turn its back on children in desperate situations, forcing them to live in the streets, in cars, and in unsafe situations is appalling to many in the state,” Lawyers for Civil Rights litigation director Oren Sellstrom instructed WBUR.
Pretty robust phrases for a Democratic governor to listen to – that you simply’re forcing homeless and migrant youngsters to stay on the streets.
Healey is so determined to not seem tone-deaf to the migrant disaster that her workplace on Sunday night time put out an “embargoed” press launch asserting that the administration was partnering with the Office of Homeland Security to host a piece authorization clinic for migrants in two weeks.
The non-news announcement was withheld from public launch till 6:30 a.m. Monday in order to get a greater bounce from the morning media. But Healey was nowhere to be seen on Monday as a result of she had no public schedule. That method she may keep away from pesky questions in regards to the lawsuit or swelling numbers of migrants who’re about to be turned away from shelter.
“We are glad that the Biden-Harris administration is hosting this clinic with us, which will help process work authorizations as efficiently as possible. Many shelter residents want to work but face significant barriers to getting their work authorizations,” Healey mentioned within the assertion. “This clinic will be critical for building on the work that our administration has already been leading to connect more migrants with work opportunities.”
You get it. Lots of self-congratulating.
Wu faces related backlash from some liberals for passing an ordinance clearing out the encampments from the drug-ravaged Mass and Cass zone. Her administration might be sending in police on Wednesday to take away tents and clear up the open drug dealing that has been happening – hopefully to arrest a number of criminals as nicely.
The metropolis has reserved further beds to accommodate the homeless residing at Mass and Cass however received’t allow them to construct any new tents.
Several progressives on the council voted in opposition to the ordinance however not sufficient to dam it.
But civil rights advocates might be watching intently to see that police don’t go over the road or just push folks out onto the streets. Wu will face stiff blowback from her progressive associates if that occurs so she’s hoping for a easy transition.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”