Massachusetts begins mass deportations as ‘sanctuary state’ crushed under burden of illegal immigration

According to Boston 25, the US Department of Homeland Security has filed over 44,000 new deportation cases in immigration courts in the state in the first nine months of the 2024 fiscal year, which runs from October 2023 to September 2024.

While Kamala Harris has served as the "border czar" during her time as vice president, her initiatives have not stemmed the flow of illegal immigration. Her stern words "do not come" did not manifest in a reducation of migrants. Donald Trump has promised mass deportations, like those Massachusetts has undertaken, should he earn a second White House term.

The data, obtained from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, revealed that the number of filings in Massachusetts immigration courts could reach nearly 59,000 by the end of September. The 2023 fiscal year saw 54,000 deportation cases, the largest number of filings in the state since 2001.

A report from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed that Massachusetts is facing a "fiscal time bomb" over the number of illegal immigrants that have been allowed into the state, with the state paying hundreds of millions on housing and welfare programs for illegal immigrants. A proposed policy of providing extended healthcare to illegal immigrants, if enacted, could cost between $112 and $166 million per year.

In June, Governor Maura Healey sent several state officials to Texas to inform border patrol as well as illegal immigrants that the state is overburdened with illegal immigrants and its emergency shelters are at max capacity.

L. Scott Rice, appointed by Healey to oversee the shelter system, said at the time, "This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the US and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts. It is essential that we get the word out that our shelters are full so that families can plan accordingly to make sure they have a safe place to go."

In July, Healey announced that the state would be limiting stays in overflow shelters to five days for illegal immigrants, and that the state is offering to pay for plane tickets and travel expenses for illegal immigrants who want to leave the state.

“I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey in a press conference.