Gov. Maura Healey applauded a call by the White House to ship a Department of Homeland Security workforce to the state to “assess” an inflow of migrants crowding native shelters simply as Democrats throughout Massachusetts have made clear their discontent with the response from Washington.
A White House spokesperson mentioned the workforce will “assess the current migrant situation and identify ways to improve efficiencies and maximize our support for communities that are addressing the needs of migrants.”
“White House officials have been in close contact with Mayor (Michelle) Wu, Gov. (Maura) Healey, and their respective staff, and will remain in coordination with the city and commonwealth to determine best practices and ways in which the federal government can support Boston and Massachusetts over the coming weeks and months, or until Congress takes action to fix our nation’s broken immigration system,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement Saturday.
A spokesperson for Healey mentioned the administration “welcomes the opportunity to show officials from the Department of Homeland Security the extremely challenging situation we are facing here in Massachusetts and discuss much-needed federal support.”
The Healey administration has been working with Biden officers to prepare an on-the-ground go to since mid-September. Healey declared a state of emergency in August in response to an overburdened shelter system, which homes each migrant and native homeless households.
It was not clear when the Department of Homeland Security workforce would arrive in Massachusetts.
A go to by federal officers comes as Democratic strain has been mounting in Massachusetts for the Biden administration to both present extra federal funding or rework work authorization guidelines so migrants can rapidly depart emergency shelters.
That features a name from U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss for the Biden administration to ship an “assessment team” to Boston to see first-hand how the state is grappling with an inflow of migrants.
“This is an important step towards results and relief for Massachusetts,” the congressman mentioned in an announcement in response to the White House’s choice.
Auchincloss additionally took half in a digital briefing Thursday morning on immigration reform, migrant arrivals, and work authorizations with Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, and members of the state’s congressional delegation.
An identical “assessment team” from the Department of Homeland Security visited Chicago this week.
Healey has repeatedly referred to as on President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to supply a extra direct serving to hand to the state. The frustration constructing amongst prime lawmakers on Beacon Hill was in full view this week.
“The guy is running for president, he better start paying attention to this,” House Speaker Ronald Mariano informed reporters on the State House Wednesday when requested if the Biden administration ought to appoint some extent individual to coordinate with states on response efforts.
Senate President Karen Spilka informed the Herald Wednesday that Biden officers “need to help us” and “I don’t want to let them off the hook so easily either.”
“The reality is that we are doing all we can to help the desperate families who are arriving here in ever increasing numbers, but we absolutely need help from our federal partners to marshal the resources required to house these parents and children and help them get on their feet,” Spilka mentioned in a Thursday assertion to the Herald.
More than 6,800 homeless and migrant households had been within the state’s emergency shelter system as of Thursday morning, in line with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency permitted $1.9 million earlier this yr to broaden momentary shelter and transportation companies in Massachusetts for newly-arrived migrants. The City of Boston utilized for the cash earlier this summer time with the state as a sub-applicant.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”