Massachusetts activates National Guard to deal with influx of illegal immigrants

AP Photo/Steven Senne

In response to an alarming increase in migrants seeking refuge in Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey on Thursday activated over 200 members of the National Guard to assist at hotels that have been converted into shelters. This move is a reflection of broader challenges the United States is facing with immigration at its southern border.

Fox 25 reports that 250 guardsmen are set to be positioned at various shelters throughout Massachusetts. Their primary duty will be to assist in providing essential amenities to the migrants until the shelters can secure contractual staff.

In her Thursday statement, Governor Healey emphasized the gravity of the situation, declaring, "Massachusetts is in a state of emergency, and we need all hands-on deck to meet this moment and ensure families have access to safe shelter and basic services."

“We’re grateful to the brave men and women of the National Guard for stepping up to help us ensure that every family in emergency shelter has their needs met, including access to food, transportation, medical care, and education. While we work to implement a more permanent staffing solution, the National Guard will provide an efficient and effective means of delivering these services and keeping everybody safe,” the governor added.

Fox 25 further noted the scale of the influx, highlighting that over 20,000 individuals currently reside in these emergency shelters, with a significant proportion being migrants.

Earlier this month, Governor Healey formally announced a state of emergency in response to the escalating crisis. Reflecting on the predicament, she mentioned, “It’s more families than our state has ever served, exponentially more than our state has ever served, in our emergency assistance program.”

“Those numbers are being driven by a surge in new arrivals who have been through some of the hardest journeys imaginable,” she stated. “They are the face of the national—international—migrant crisis. They’re here because where they came from is too dangerous to stay. They’re here because Massachusetts has and will always be a beacon of hope, compassion, humanity and opportunity.”

There's an ongoing debate about the best way to address the broader immigration challenge, with some advocating for more substantial federal support, and others emphasizing border security. A study from early 2023 estimated the cumulative costs of undocumented immigration in the U.S., spanning federal, state, and local levels, to be around $150.7 billion.