(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Massachusetts residents are on the fence about a decades-old unique state law that has made the migrant crisis a greater issue in their state.
One of the state laws that affects everyone, even those who have been in the state for only a few minutes, includes the “right-to-shelter” law. Paul Diego Craney is a Massachusetts resident who spoke out about this. He said, “In Massachusetts, anyone that steps foot here if you’ve been here for 20 years or for 20 minutes, you do have some benefits. And one of them is called a right-to-shelter. And what that basically means is the taxpayers are mandated to pay for your shelter.”
The state law has allowed many migrants to come into their state and find places to stay, which even include public places like airports. “We are becoming a destination for migrants,” he said. “And as a result, our shelter system; our welfare system is stretched beyond thin. And it’s becoming pretty much a disaster,” Craney continued.
The state has even said that they’ve spent over $1 billion per year as a result of the law in combination with the migrant crisis. The law was passed in 1983 and it’s the only law like this at the state level.
Many officials have spoken out about the state’s rules and how they’re the main reason that migrants are drawn to the area; it is a “beacon to those in need” and the state can’t exactly kick them out for no reason. In the fall, the governor of the state declared an official state of emergency due to the migrant crisis there.
Some residents, like Craney, are saying that compassion cannot fix the issue, although they are all compassionate about the migrant’s situation, this has created major issues for the state.
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