The legislature is currently finalizing its latest legislation to shore up the commonwealth’s emergency shelter system. With minor course adjustments, we are moving down the pathway suggested by the Governor. The Governor’s approach has two basic elements: (a) keep the system afloat with a midyear supplemental appopriation of $425 million; (b) place some additional restrictions on who may enter the system and how long they may remain.
This is a compromise approach to a pressing problem. My colleagues in the senate were divided. Some would abolish the right to shelter completely and wind down the system; others would simply fund the system without tightening controls at all. We’ve discussed the options for weeks in heated informal conversations. Over a day of formal debate on the floor yesterday there were a number of roll call votes which did not follow strict party lines.
The division among legislators mirrors division among my constituents and I wanted to share some of my takeaways from the discussion and debate:
- The number of families in emergency shelter peaked at about 7,500 and is now trending down from that level.
- At the recent peak, less than 3 Massachusetts families out of one thousand were using the emergency shelter system. Massachusetts has a population of about 7 million people in 2.8 million households.
- The doubling in the shelter population from its historical level of 3 or 4 thousand families was driven by a surge in immigrants entering Massachusetts legally. Virtually none of the immigrants in shelter are deportable for lack of documentation. A large share of them have been Haitian or Venezuelan on Temporary Protective Status — a status created by the federal government that recognizes the upheaval in the home countries and allows refugees in.
- The central focus of the legislature and the Governor has been to get people out of the shelter system — to help them find jobs and housing.
- The legislature is supporting the Governor in cutting the maximum length of stay to six months (down from 9 months) subject to hardship waivers. It’s hard to be sure what this will mean in practice — people will be under more pressure to get ready to leave, but will more pressure accelerate the process of finding jobs and housing?
- Anecdotally, our immigrant families move out of shelter more quickly than our citizen families. While immigrants face huge barriers — language, lack of a social network — they surmounted high barriers to get here and they are eager to get settled. Statistically, citizen families in shelter are more likely to have substance use, mental illness, trauma, or other disabilities — durable challenges that forced them into the shelter system.
$425 million is less than one percent of the state’s annual budget, but it is a huge amount of money which could be spent productively on many other things. We all feel visceral fiscal concern and have a sense that we need to “bring the situation under control.” The legislation includes a number of boundary setting measures. See this detailed summary.
From a Massachusetts budget perspective, the ongoing federal immigration policy changes that will reduce entrants at the border will reduce entrants to the shelter system. This will regulate the costs of shelter back towards their historical baseline: The time limitations and other new boundary setting measures that we are putting in place in the new legislation may be unnecessary. At the same time, those federal immigration policy changes will strand a lot of refugees trying to make their way to a better life.
“$425 million……is a huge amount of money which could be spent productively on many other things.” Does the legislature not think
more people come to MA because of this Arcane law that only MA has? This is a terrible use of MA taxpayer money.
Absolutely irresponsible to use funds for this one favored area of Gov Healey. What about education, seniors, housing for residents, who have contributed to the infrastructure for decades? What about those of us working two and three jobs just to pay the rent in greater Boston getting zero assistance.
The tunnel vision of legislators and the Heli administration has been absolutely dire I still wonder is there anybody who took a masters degree in public policy? Does anyone actually listen to their constituents?
Regardless, Boston’s continued refusal to work with ICE leaves the elected officials in my city with blood on their hands.
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-boston-arrests-illegal-guatemalan-national-charged-forcibly-raping-massachusetts
And yes, the money that has been spent on a shelter system that has housed in large part people that are not even citizens or long-term residence of Massachusetts is egregious, and needs to be audited. Please go with the will of the people and open the books for a full audit, so we can see exactly how get to our tax money has been spent and administered on the many benefits, including but not limited to shelter, food, housing, clothing, healthcare, to illegal migrants.
Why is it that the benches we have at the beautiful Chestnut Hill Reservoir are deteriorating, and the path is eroding, and we can’t even get trash service during the winter, but all of this energy and time and money is being spent in this state on people who do not even have legal reason to be here? I haven’t heard you speak to exactly why that is.
Not that the reservoir is my primary issue of importance. It’s just an example of a refuge in my neighborhood that is getting used more and more, because of all of the development that continues at break next speed. People need green, healthy, beautiful spaces to go to to support their mental health. It’s better than medication for a lot of us. And for a small amount relatively speaking , it could be cared for and tended to for the greater good.
Yet, the state just turns it’s back on us. Many of us in your district of Allston Brighton are extremely discouraged by it.
PJ did you even read what you posted? Nothing to do with Boston cooperating or not cooperating
But since you consider a bench more important than human lives I guess we shouldn’t expect any better.
I hope someday you become a better person – right now you are an embarrassment to Massachusetts
It is a lesser mercy and a lesser goodness to respond to a crisis after you have shrugged off responsibility for creating the crisis. Our borders were built and sanctified by our blood of our soldiers following the Age of Discovery and Expansion. Our antecedents pushed out the Spanish crown and ended the Spanish Colonial Era. Our antecedents pushed out the British crown and ended the British Colonial Era. And, our antecedents pushed out the French crown and curtailed their ambitions in our New Land. Now, for the Democratic Party to nullify our existence, sovereignty and borders by treasonously unlatching the back gate to the march of the heirs of Spanish, Portuguese and the French colonial powers and unload the burden of colonial conquest onto us is the context we should be debating in.
If you want to know who is to blame for the state of affairs in the Latin Americas consider anyone who you have ever know who purchases illicit drugs and then try to say the cause is climate change with a straight face.
https://x.com/dianadizoglio/status/1890470306927853930?s=49
Wow.
The Legislature’s communication on the Peoples’ Audit reads like a brush-off.
The One Party Government could not care less about its lawful residents. All that it matters to the Democrats is the potential new voters who will vote for them in exchange for shelter, welfare, health care, etc. to keep them in power forever. If the illegal aliens were to vote for Republicans, the Democrats would have erected a border wall visible from outer space. A few details of what else transpired last night: https://massgop.com/massgop-slams-democrats-for-prioritizing-politics-over-massachusetts-residents-in-425-million-spending-bill
Oh, the hypocrisy; “Officials here follow the law. We are not a sanctuary state,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey told reporters. If so, have our distinguished AG Campbell move to repeal Lunn v. Commonwealth Supreme Judicial Court, July 24, 2017 and bar cities and towns from keeping their respective sanctuary status. I guess Worcester would now merit special consideration, and make-up.
Get ready for aliens voting in local elections, as NY is seeking. It is coming. Last one out. turn off the lights
Right on!
The only one party government is the republican party. As a republican lover that you are, you will lie as easily as you breathe. What have you ever done for anyone else? Clearly nothing. You arrogant worm brained republicans think that the only people who matter are people who look and talk like you do. As citizens of Mass. and America, we are also citizens of the world and when we forget that, we are no better than the bugs who crawl around looking for their next meal. We are people of the world and as such we must remember that we have to see other people as family because that is what they are. If they are bad people who attack their neighbors then we should punish them as arrogant thieves they will continue to do so unless someone is willing to stop them.
However, as with any famiy member, someone needs help, we shoould endevor to give that help as someday we may also need such help. Only a selfish, arrogent poorly educated little mind would think otherwise. No doubt this is why the your arrogant small minded leader wants to do away with the education system, the legal system the healthcare system and the social saftey net system.
Democracy is being destryed everyday by thieves lead by a felon president and we need all the hard workers we can find to fight back.
Tipical childish response from a TDS sufferer resorting to ad hominem attacks because critical thinking eludes you. That’s why you elected our State officials who delivered this:
Today’s Boston’s Herald:
“A Boston-based think tank says the state economy is crashing as the Massachusetts population records “historically high” gains in “low-skilled migrants, many lacking legal status” while domestic residents flee.”
Thanks a lot, David. Are you happy now?
“Fight back” all you want. It changes nothing; you still lost the WH, the Senate and the House. I trust you are finding all the Cabinet confirmations to your liking.
I agree with you. It is very distressing. It is also concerning that elected officials refuse to listen to the people- the voters. Cradle of democracy and we have carpetbaggers, mostly, from other places calling the shots.
Thank you, Senator. I look forward to March 10th.
Betty Cawley,, CSJ
May be Will and colleagues will help and draft new law about this? Read last paragraph. I don’t think so:
Lunn v. Commonwealth
Supreme Judicial Court, July 24, 2017
(Immigration Detainers)
“Massachusetts law provides no authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a Federal civil immigration detainer, beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from State custody.”
“The prudent course is not for this court to create, and attempt to define, some new authority for court officers to arrest that heretofore has been unrecognized and undefined. The better course is for us to defer to the Legislature to establish and carefully define that authority if the Legislature wishes that to be the law of this Commonwealth.”
Thank you for this update, Will.
I’m not anti-immigrant. I am not pro cruelty. I am pro rule of law. And another fine mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into is a product of our party’s heartless, avaricious scheme lure migrants, the lights of their homelands, from their troubled homes to exist in a state of lawlessness. I just want to point out that the following statement in light of the fact that TPS is a dead letter is…what? Bad faith?
“Virtually none of the immigrants in shelter are deportable for lack of documentation. A large share of them have been Haitian or Venezuelan on Temporary Protective Status — a status created by the federal government that recognizes the upheaval in the home countries and allows refugees in.“
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5268986/trump-humanitarian-parole-immigration
The reason “immigrants” (including those detained by Border Patrol after crossing illegally who suddenly become asylum seekers. Released on asylum parole per Biden/Harris policy and Presto! they are now “legal” immigrants) move out of the shelter system faster than traditional MA residents is because there is a massive and expensive human service chain paid for by the Citizens of MA. It would be an interesting project to actually sum the costs from start to finish including possible detention and deportation per individual. Mr. Brownsberger, do you realize that you are talking about 1 billion (with a “b”) dollars just for shelter housing in fiscal 2024-2025 and possibly more, plus an additional 1 billion dollar bond?
Sorry Mr. Senator but I forgot to add my thanks for your considerate update.
Thank you!
That billion of our tax dollars goes a lot farther than campaign ads and it’s free money for the DNC/DNCDCCC-adjacent.
As stated by the prior comments, the legislature has abrogated its responsibility, which is to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
I do not thank you for the comment since you avoided the topic entirely in you recent update.
I totally agree.
It’s sort of weird that as a matter of policy the state is deputizing its citizenry to be opponents of the Republican Administration and its policies.
Pure insanity.
Well, Someone who is afraid to even use identifying initials while misrepresenting, in the name of countering, another’s views, people are more important than benches but every person in the world isn’t my responsibility nor should the money taken from me for collective purposes like benches just be given to someone not part of that collective. A response to that insanity aside, thank you Sen. Brownsberger for your attempt to share info. If this is in fact an attempt at moderation or compromise, unfortunately it isn’t from two different sides or true positions because this is a one-party state which doesn’t reflect or welcome diverse opinions. If you don’t have the money, you can’t spend the money and if you had a spare half BILLION dollars, I’d hope you’re putting it toward improving the lives of the people of Massachusetts, you know, voting constituents.
Will, the disgraceful Beacon Hill organized crime family has made a travesty out of the right to shelter law. The intent of the right to shelter law was to help permanent Massachusetts residents who need emergency shelter. It was not meant for new arrivals. Beacon Hill has no respect for hard working taxpayers. Beacon Hill has a track record of being devious.
Hello Will, thank you for providing these reports and the level of detail.
I asked Microsoft Copilot (AI feature in Bing), “What are the long-term budget implications of this spending?” referring to MA. and the reply was as follows.
What are the long-term budget implications of this spending?
The long-term budget implications of Massachusetts’ spending on migrant families are quite significant. According to a study by the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, the state could face a fiscal time bomb starting in 2026. This is due to the ongoing costs of schooling, social services, medical care, and public safety for migrants who remain in the state long-term1.
The study estimates that illegal and inadmissible migrants pay less in taxes than they consume in welfare benefits and other social services. On average, there is a lifetime net fiscal cost of $68,000 for each illegal and inadmissible migrant. Additionally, nearly 60% of households headed by illegal and inadmissible migrants use at least one welfare program1.
The state has been using one-time funds and emergency measures to address the immediate crisis, but without meaningful reforms, the financial burden could continue to grow. The state legislature has already allocated millions for welfare benefits and other support services for migrants1.
It’s a complex issue with no easy solutions. Do you think there should be more focus on policy reforms to address the root causes of the migrant crisis?
Copilot referenced data from the following website.
https://www.massfiscal.org/new-study-fiscal-time-bomb-beginning-2026-massachusetts-migrants
https://www.massfiscal.org/statement-passage-supplemental-budget-dumping-money-migrant-crisis
Is there a compelling reason why you voted against a universal background check instead of relying on only a CORI check? CORI only searches the MA database. Wouldn’t it make sense to search an international and national database to pickup past crimes in other countries and states? A new arrival here will most likely have no record to pick up with a CORI check, but could have a long list elsewhere. It’s bad enough we’re spending an ADDITIONAL $425MM when we’re shutting down mental health facilities on the Cape and rehab facilities in Canton for children for budgetary reasons, but to allow those with a criminal history outside the state a free pass into the shelter system is pathetic. This money, and the rest that was budgeted for this fiscal year and last, could have been better spent on critical issues of importance for CITIZENS. It’s not incumbent for MA to try and fix the world.
Well said, Ken. Thanks.
Oh, as to “…not incumbent for MA to try and fix the world”, we have people like David A 2/14/25 above to thank for such efforts. Some voters are part of the problem.
Thank you, Will, for your update as usual, thoughtful and helpful, and in this case, on this psrticularly difficult issue. I am disappointed and frustrated at the willful ignorance of those who forget that they live here now, unless they are descendants of either Native Americans or enslaved people, because their grandparents. Great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents also were allowed into this country under some sort of acceptance or program and the only difference with the folks now is the color of their skin. How quickly we forget the former waves of intolerance as in “no Irish need apply”.
Will;
Perhaps it would be good practice to require full name disclosure from those who wish to contribute with commentary, like Watertown News does. It seems some are encouraged to write peculiar things while being anonymous. Thanks.
Not everyone is at liberty to speak freely.
Understood. Some employers, colleagues, and various bureaucrats (along with some family members) may be quite unforgiving. You don’t need to experience the consequences.
I wish the old axiom “With the truth I neither fear nor offend” would find a modicum of adherence around here, but I would be sadly mistaken.
Also, it’s not the man it’s the message.
“$425 million is less than one percent of the state’s annual budget, but it is a huge amount of money which could be spent productively on many other things.”
I disagree, I think this spending is VERY productive. Considering that a majority of the people using this system are people who have been displaced (and displaced SPECIFICALLY because of US interventions/lack of intervention), and who are quickly moving through the system to find jobs and housing on their own. We are increasing our workforce – in the context of the US, an aging population, this is a big win. And of course, “these people” are Massachusetts residents from the moment they step into the state. They deserve just as kind treatment as any “long-time” resident.
Let’s not also forget the other benefits from having a Right to Shelter in place. Businesses are able to get money, which leads to jobs for locals, and the influx of people who might require services are getting those services, which are also JOBS for people in our community. I’m sure a study into the money that is put into citizen’s pockets from supporting this system would start to tip this funding into a higher priority.
As a catholic, migrants, refugees and immigrants are the people we need to care for the MOST. No one leaves their home country for fun – they are facing incredible challenges of violence, poverty, and climate change. We should continue to welcome them into the state of Massachusetts and not ask how they “drain” our money, but instead how they fuel and boost our communities. How to we help others in a meaningful, kind, and efficient manner? Let’s not allow the “image” that is popularly shared to be the truth – because it is not. As you said, most of the folks we are serving are legal immigrants who are here to help us.
Given the poor record keeping in the shelter system , how can you confidently give estimates of the number of illegals?
SHUT IT DOWN. There have been thousands of incidents in the “Healey Hotels” involving law enforcement. Migrants raping women and children, having drugs and guns, domestic abuse, etc. No-bid contracts enriching political cronies. There has been no accountability from the Governor or Legislature.
Meanwhile, our schools are underfunded, our roads/bridges are crumbling, the T is a dumpster fire and we are frittering away billions on people who probably should not have been given permission to enter the US in the first place.
I’m too dimwitted to debate. Therefore I quote the brilliant.
“Human rights’ are a fine thing, but how can we make ourselves sure that our rights do not expand at the expense of the rights of others. A society with unlimited rights is incapable of standing to adversity. If we do not wish to be ruled by a coercive authority, then each of us must rein himself in…A stable society is achieved not by balancing opposing forces but by conscious self-limitation: by the principle that we are always duty-bound to defer to the sense of moral justice.”
Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, Rebuilding Russia: Reflections and Tentative Proposals
I have just seen the voting record for this thing. Not one Democrat voted against it. Not one.
That’s all you need to know.
I think a ballot question is needed. Ask that the shelter system can be only be used mass residents. No green cards, propected status groups ect. Let the residents and taxpayers decide.
Agree.The problem with that is that the One-Party-Legislature could not care less about the outcome, as they will simply will not act if the cogent, sane voters were to prevail. You can’t win at the end, and they know that.
Let them go home and apply and go through due process. My family had to have a sponsor, some place to live, a JOB and had to SPEAK ENGLISH or they couldn’t go to school, get a job they had to learn English on their own. Made this country great and they respected this country, fought for this country, etc. They did this all on their own with NO help from anybody. STOP ENABLING THESE PEOPLE WITH MY TAX DOLLARS!! I am struggling, do you care, obviously not!!
To Senator Brownsberger,
Thank you for this note, it is very helpful to read your thoughts and understand your position.
It is not very useful that you are posting these thoughts AFTER your disastrous vote and not BEFORE. Should you not be seeking inputs from our communities BEFORE your vote ?
Are there any studies you would like to present showing social and economical impact of funding unrestricted immigration and inviting foreign citizens to our state ? Have you modeled the current trends into the future ?
For example: how many more foreign citizens are you anticipating will be attracted to coming MA if we continue funding these programs ?
How many of them are you anticipating will be violent criminals, who are well aware will be shielded by the mayor and the governor ?
What socioeconomic impact are you anticipating, especially on the lower middle class minority communities who already struggle every day? How will the housing prices be impacted? What is the net total cost on the MA taxpayer, if you include: housing, public schools, health care, crime ? How does this impact the long term projection on the MA fiscal plan?
You highlighted how the currently residing in MA foreign nationals entered “legally”, but you forgot to mention a few things. The term “legally” here is questionable and misleading. The asylum system has been abused and circumvented by design; gone are the days of vetting asylum seekers BEFORE crossing the border. CBP One app alone enabled at least 1 million of accelerated applications without any verification of who these people actually are. Often without any documents,the crossers were trained to state they were from Venezuela, knowing it will grant them automatic application. The organizations that trained the migrants were funded by NGOs, who in turn were indirectly funded by the US taxpayer.
Sadly, these foreigners who have been lured into storming the US border (by NGOs, cartels, and 2020 election nominees), are just as victims and pawns in this political game, as the legal resident minorities in our state are. Do you have any data on how many of the missing 350,000 children (that’s the official number, there are more) were sex-trafficked to MA by the cartels to end up here as sex slaves ?
Please understand, gone are the days when people consume one-sided pro-open-border corporate news from the global “news” networks; there are now thousands of citizen journalist on the border, shelters and the surrounding communities, documenting the open border disaster. Democrats are no longer in complete control of messaging and you can no longer count on “moving the goal post” on gullible people, merely sharing your thoughts after another despicable vote. The number of “forever” Democrat voters who are waking from from being misguided by the obsession with tolerance is shrinking, especially in the affected minorities (it has not impacted the privileged class, so vulnerable to this virtue signalling, in this town yet as much). You have gone against the people that you were claiming to represent. If no one can stand up to this insanity, I worry we are heading towards collapse of the Democratic party.
Next time, please share something more substantive. Namely, why did the foreign nationals become the favorite protected class of the Democratic party ? As this continues, how many more Democratic voters are we going to loose ? Do you think the unrestricted migration is still one of the pillars to the party’s future? In your mind, what is the “right number” of foreign nationals annually crossing over the Southern border that should be granted residence and work permits in MA?
I was hoping, Senator, that you will have the courage to stand up to the top down open borders rule and show the way to the revival of Democratic party, before its collapse. Perhaps, you could had started drafting a legislation that ensures cooperation with the federal government to send back these people safely to their home countries ? Instead, we are getting just another figure head politician driving the crisis. At least, you seem to be aware that you are acting against the interest of our communities and perhaps, driven by still some remaining guilt, decided to write up this article.
I’m looking forward to a constructive, open public debate on this critical topic.
I’ve managed to read all of the comments left here for you. God bless you. There are some differing opinions here. As always the job of listening to your constituents and working with your colleagues must be challenging. Just as balancing the cost of providing help to those who need food and shelter and being financially responsible to the tax payers must be. I doubt there is a solution that will please everyone. I appreciate your effort to explain your thinking on this matter. Thank you for all you do.