Migrant families will not be allowed to sleep at Logan Airport, Massachusetts governor says
BOSTON - Migrant families will soon be banned from sleeping overnight at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday.
Sleeping at the airport will be prohibited starting July 9. Instead, migrants staying at Logan will be offered a transfer to a controversial new safety-net site at an old prison in Norfolk. Staff at Logan will inform migrants of the new policy and help them get somewhere else "where they have family or another option for a safe place to say," the state said.
For months, dozens of families have been spending the night at the airport, and sources told WBZ's I-Team that Massachusetts State Police are being paid overtime to help them.
"We've never thought that Logan was an appropriate place for people to be staying overnight," said Healey.
"Massachusetts is out of shelter space"
The new policy comes days after Healey sent representatives to the southern border in Texas to spread the word that Massachusetts shelters are full. The state's emergency shelter system hit a capacity of 7,500 families back in November.
"You have to have something in your heart for the migrants but you also have to think about what are the laws and traditions," said one Massachusetts resident.
Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice, who traveled to the border earlier this week, said the Norfolk site and a new nine-month time limit for families in the emergency shelter system put the state in a position to end overnight stays at the airport.
"This is in the best interest of families and travelers and staff at Logan, as the airport is not an appropriate place for people to seek shelter," Rice said in a statement. "We are going to continue to spread the word that Massachusetts is out of shelter space and that, if families are travelling to Massachusetts, they need to be prepared with a plan for housing that does not include Logan Airport or our Emergency Assistance shelters."
"We've given, I think, enough lead time to work with case managers and service providers in finding new locations for people and we've also made clear to people who might think about coming to Massachusetts that we're not going to be able to provide housing," said Healey.
State pushing to shorten time people stay in shelters
The governor also said the state has been pushing to shorten the length of time people stay in shelters. "We've processed nearly 4,000 people for work permits and many of them are employed right now in hospitality and healthcare. We've also seen 200 to 300 families exit every month from the shelter system."