Bishops urge legislators to provide additional funding for migrants

    The Massachusetts Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey are on the verge of passing a fiscal year 2023 supplemental budget. One of the line items in the budget would provide funding to expand emergency shelters and related educational costs for the fast-growing population of migrants flowing into the state over the past several months.
    “The proposed $86 million expenditure is critically needed as the state deals with this humanitarian crisis,” said the Massachusetts Catholic Conference in a press release dated March 7.
    Massachusetts continues to experience a significant influx of immigrant families and individuals seeking refuge in many of its cities and towns, the MCC noted in November.
    “These immigrants are coming to our state in unprecedented numbers as they seek safety and shelter from an increased threat of violence and unrest in Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua as well as Afghanistan and Ukraine. In addition, quite often they are forced to leave their native country because they are without food, shelter, medicine, and many other necessities we often take for granted. The funds provided by the supplemental budget will provide the necessary resources to mitigate the crisis for the balance of the fiscal year,” said the MCC, the official public policy voice for the bishops in Massachusetts’ four dioceses.
    The MCC said it strongly supports this section of the fiscal year supplemental budget.