Massachusetts governor: ‘Confusing tangle of immigration laws’ overwhelming shelter system

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as the state’s shelter system struggles to house newly arrived migrants without work authorization.

In a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Healey blamed a number of factors for her state’s inability to cope with new arrivals.

“This state of emergency arises from numerous factors, among them federal policies on immigration and work authorization, inadequate production of affordable housing over the last decade, and the end of COVID-era food and housing security programs,” wrote Healey.

But her direct appeal to the Biden administration focused on two things: more funding for the shelter program, and work permits for new arrivals.

Healey joins a growing number of Democrats who’ve voiced frustration over receiving a large number of people in a time of high labor demand, but not being able to legally employ them.

“These new arrivals desperately want to work, and we have historic demand for workers across all industries,” wrote Healey.

The Hill has reached out to DHS for comment.

Last month, Reps. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) called on the Biden administration to aggressively use his immigration parole authority and other executive means to “unlock” work permits for both newly arrived and longtime immigrants.

“The current work permit backlogs are leaving migrants unable to support themselves and their families and are compounding the existing labor shortage that American employers are facing,” said Goldman.

While millions of undocumented immigrants work and pay taxes despite having no formal work authorization, many asylum-seekers fear illicit employment could hurt their immigration cases.

Generally, asylum applicants are barred from working for 180 days after they are admitted to the United States, forcing people to subsist on humanitarian aid for their first six months in the country.

Healey’s state of emergency also echoes a shelter crisis that frayed relations between President Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D).

In May, Biden’s reelection campaign dropped Adams as a surrogate after the New York mayor sharply criticized federal immigration policy amid relentless Republican attacks on the issue.

Healey’s appeal, while signaling a reset in the state’s management of shelters, treaded carefully to avoid criticism of either the Biden administration or of migrants themselves.

“The need for action is urgent. The state of emergency arising from the shelter crisis demands that I exercise my powers as Governor to protect all the residents of Massachusetts, particularly those who lack access to safe housing,” she wrote.

Healey praised the state’s efforts to house “more than 5,500 families” including through volunteer efforts and coordination with charitable organizations and local jurisdictions.

“But those efforts have not been enough,” wrote Healey.

The state’s shelter system has gone from attending 25 families per day in March 2022 to more than 100 families per day in July 2023, according to Healey.

“These trends are driven by many factors, including a confusing tangle of immigration laws, an inability for migrants to obtain work authorization from the federal government, an increase in the number of people coming to Massachusetts, and the lack of an affordable housing supply in our state,” she wrote.