Framingham mayor "extremely appreciative" of Massachusetts National Guard help with migrants at hotels
FRAMINGHAM - Outside the Red Roof Inn in Framingham there's a community that's trying to make a shelter a home, temporary as it may be.
It includes Denis from Haiti who told WBZ-TV through a translator he came here looking for a new life.
"Because of opportunity they have here in Massachusetts. They can help them. They can have work to do," he said.
It's at hotels like this, three of which are in Framingham, and at emergency shelters where more than 6,000 families, many of them migrants, are staying in 80 communities across the Commonwealth.
Last week, Governor Maura Healey activated 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to help because she says the state's run out of service providers.
The Guard is expected to deploy this week to provide what Healey considers a short-term solution as she says families are flying into Logan Airport from places like Texas.
Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said there are currently "50-plus families in the three hotels in Framingham."
"While we have been supportive with the state in this humanitarian crisis, we are extremely appreciative of the National Guard taking over the two hotels in Framingham that do not have an emergency shelter provider," he said in a statement to WBZ Tuesday.
The National Guard is also going to assist local school districts with enrolling children in classes.