Federal immigration authorities in Massachusetts, a state that has spent millions to house migrants, are on track to process a record number of deportation cases, Boston 25 reported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has filed over 44,000 new deportation cases in Massachusetts courts during the first nine months of fiscal year 2024, according to Boston 25. Should this pace continue, the total number of filings in the state could reach nearly 59,000 by the end of the fiscal year — surpassing the 54,000 deportation cases seen the previous fiscal year, which was the biggest number of new filings in the state in roughly a quarter century. (RELATED: Greg Abbott Demands Biden-Harris Admin Pay Back Cost Of Illegal Migrant Medical Care In New Executive Order)
The rising pace of cases continues despite Massachusetts, a “sanctuary state” for illegal migrants, taking steps to force asylum seekers out of shelters and incentivize them to leave the state completely.
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey last month declared that the state would limit stays at overflow shelters for migrants to just five days. Additionally, the governor’s office said plane tickets and other travel expenses would be covered for migrants wishing to relocate out of the state.
“I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts,” Healey said during a July press conference, according to Boston 25 News.
The governor’s office emphasized in a press release at the time that the financial toll of the migrant shelter system was unsustainable, and reforms were going to be made.
“Massachusetts is out of shelter space, and we simply cannot afford the current size of this system,” the governor said in the press release. “That’s why we are making changes to [Emergency Assistance] prioritization and transitioning our safety-net sites to five-day temporary respite centers.”
The five-day stay limit marked a major scale back from earlier limitations. The four state-run overflow shelters currently operating in Massachusetts — located in Chelsea, Norfolk, Lexington and Cambridge — previously allowed migrant families to remain for 30 days, and offered options to re-apply, according to Boston 25.
The state’s roll back on migrant shelter stays followed major taxpayer expenditures to house and feed migrants. Earlier this year, Massachusetts was spending roughly $75 million a month to house families in their shelters, according to GBH, a local outlet.
The governor deployed several top state officials to border communities in June to caution illegal immigrants not to make Massachusetts their destination of choice because the state’s emergency system was overwhelmed.
The Center for Immigration Studies identifies Massachusetts as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction, citing a 2017 court decision that limits law enforcement’s ability to hold criminal illegal migrants solely based on a detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Massachusetts’ record number of deportation cases reflects a nationwide trend, according to the Boston Globe. Immigration courts across the country experienced an increase of over 300% of deportation cases from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2023.
“The nationwide increase in new deportation cases during the Biden administration is driven primarily by an increase in asylum seekers entering the United States, both at the US-Mexico border as well as at airports,” Austin Kocher, a professor at Syracuse University, said to the Boston Globe. “Many of these migrants enter lawfully through parole programs set up to facilitate the humanitarian process. Political instability is a driving factor for migrants.”
Healey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="30109 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=30109">7 Comments
The dems invited them all in without any plan. Now they want to deport them or ship them to other states. But the Mass libs will keep voting the same people back in again. Wait …. This sounds a lot like Portland. They did the same thing and are now sticking it to the Portland taxpayers and begging surrounding towns to “chip in”. Good luck with that folks.
If Trump hadn’t sabotoged bipartisan immigration reform this might now be such news. We had a plan to work together to help solve immigration, including deporting many migrants.
But to keep complaining about border problems when the MAGA GOP candidate was the single reason we couldn’t allocate resources to the officers and Americans that are on the border.
Donald Trump refuses to try and solve problems. He just yells. And after the last few weeks, he’s getting really boring. He’s not going to solve problems. And he’s turning into a Boring Biden.
Trump is the reason we’re having so much trouble at the border. He went against the desires of officers at the border and effectively defunded the police… and thus he gave us more immigration problems that the GOP and the Dems tried to fix. But the MAGA GOP wing of Trump doesn’t want to help police officers by giving them resources.
Lastly, are migrants taking all your really good fast food and agriculture jobs in Maine? I just don’t think Maine is actually so deeply economically affected by this. I feel people just want to complain without considering the solutions… which is emblematic of the MAGA GOP wing of the Republican Party.
Invite illegals into the state = $
House, feed, medically treat illegals = $
Help illegals relocate = $
Deport illegals out of the country = $
Clean up the mess, drugs and crimes by illegals = $
Arrange for the remaining illegals to vote = $
Pretty soon the political hacks will run out of taxpayer $ to fund the enormous problems they created, but not to worry…these same buffoons will be re-elected by the equally buffoonish voters who elected them in the first place.
RELOCATE out of the state – to where? Shifting their INVITED burden to other American states is the height of disgusting, hypocritical folly. The only “deportation” freebies should be shipping them back to their country of origin – period.
Keep an eye out for those busses from Massachusetts entering Maine.
Has anyone noticed how the Democrats creat problems some of which are imaginary simply to be able to offer solutions of which some are actually imaginary?
How can people of right mind keep voting these idiots into office?
Can’t decide if Isaac is really smart or really not. Its obvious to even the simplest of thinkers that the bill would have still allowed 1.8 million invaders a year PLUS 100% of anyone claiming humanitarian reasons which is around 99.8% of the time. This bill was a ploy, the dems loaded it up with so much junk they knew it wouldn’t pass and the right didn’t bite. It really makes me wonder how anyone other than a paid troll could not see that.
Gaslight Gems from another indoctrinated mouthpiece .
Isaac is a tool .
He says the problems at the border are Trump’s doing .
People know better .
He’s been brainwashed by the media to believe the democrats daily lies .
Chick Schumer wouldn’t bring HR2 to the senate floor for a vote . HR2 would have solved the border problems . Why don’t you tell us about HR2 Isaac ?
Only a real liar believes Trump wants the open border problems that BIDEN has created .
Liars Liars Liars .
VOTE THESE LIARS OUT IN NOVEMBER !
Send Isaac to back under the rock he crawled out from under