A new report analyzes the impact of the immigration crisis on Massachusetts residents and projects it will cost the state $1.8 billion over the next two years, posing a potential “fiscal time bomb.”
Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) The report was released On July 24, he predicted the state would struggle to manage the growing number of immigrants.
“While the costs to Massachusetts taxpayers for temporary housing and shelters are significant, they pale in comparison to the future costs that would accumulate if the people currently in temporary housing were to remain in Massachusetts long-term,” wrote Jessica Vaughn, director of policy research at CIS.
A new report released in July projected that Massachusetts taxpayers will be on the hook for $1.8 billion to deal with the state’s migrant crisis. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
In addition to housing, other costs that taxpayers must cover include education, social services, health care, and public safety.
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These immigrants are eligible to receive certain Massachusetts welfare programs, such as food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and other public services provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), even when the federal government prohibits them from using these programs.
The report found that states have already spent more than $1 billion on emergency assistance (EA) shelter programs to house migrants.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced that the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home would be converted into a facility for immigrants. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Google Maps/Screenshot)
Some migrants detained through the emergency assistance program “arrived under one of the Biden administration’s controversial parole programs,” according to the report.
“And state budget officials expect to need to spend an additional $1.8 billion over the next two years,” the report added.
To manage the growing number of migrants, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey has had to impose limits on a shelter program that prioritizes state residents.
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The report estimates that the number of “illegal and inadmissible” immigrants living in Massachusetts is roughly 355,000, with an estimated 50,000 new arrivals since 2021. It also estimates that 10,000 of the immigrants are minors and 8,500 are unaccompanied.
Immigrants tend to have higher labor force participation rates, but newcomers face language barriers and the report says they “lack the education and skills necessary for individuals and families to become independent in Massachusetts.”
A separate report by MassInc and UMass Donahue found that more than 450,000 Massachusetts residents have limited English proficiency, about 10% of the state’s workforce. The data is based on 2022 Census estimates, so it may be an underestimate.
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Boston, Massachusetts – January 31: A worker walks among more than 300 Army cots laid out on a gymnasium floor as state and local officials tour the Melnea A. Cass Recreation Complex, which will house more than 300 migrants. (John Trumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Governor Healey announced last month that he was sending administration officials to the Texas border, citing “record” numbers of migrants arriving in Boston.
Employees are from federal agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Immigrant family “To raise awareness about the shelter shortage in Massachusetts.”
Healey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the CIS investigation.
