Massachusetts facing 'fiscal time bomb' over lavish spending for illegal immigrants

A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies has argued that Massachusetts may be setting itself up for fiscal ruin by continuing to care for the unprecedented number of illegal immigrants that have entered over the past few years. Governor Maura Healey has worked hard to turn the state into a sanctuary for those who cross the border unlawfully, providing anyone regardless of legal status with all sorts of taxpayer-funded goods and services.

The author of the report, Jessica Vaughan, pointed out that Healey has expressed hope that the Biden administration will repay the state for some of the costs associated with the illegal immigrant crisis, however, she predicted that federal funding will eventually run out. She argued that as a result, by continuing to invite more illegal immigrants in, Massachusetts was lighting the fuse on a "fiscal time bomb."

According to the report, around 355,000 illegal immigrants currently reside in Massachusetts, with 50,000 of them arriving since 2021 alone. Unlike in many other states, they are eligible for welfare programs, some immediately, and others after a certain number of years. Among them are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Medicaid, public education, health care and health insurance, and public safety.

Vaughan noted that in addition to the hundreds of millions spent on those programs and emergency housing, the state pays over $27 million on incarcerated illegal immigrants. If a recently proposed policy of providing extended healthcare to illegal immigrants is enacted, it could cost between $112 and $166 million per year.
 

"These migrants represent a looming fiscal disaster for taxpayers in Massachusetts," Vaughan said in a statement to the Daily Mail. "Even if they are working, they are not equipped with skills and education to avoid being a drain on public coffers."

Healey has recently acknowledged that the situation is getting out of control. In June, she sent a team down to the border to inform illegal immigrants that her state was full.