Massachusetts is allocating approximately $64 per migrant per day for meals as part of its state care expenses, contributing to an expected total expenditure of one billion dollars by 2025, according to state records.
Reports from WBZ-TV indicate that the state is spending $16 for breakfast, $17 for lunch, and $31 for dinner each day for migrants in its care. This expenditure is mandated by the state’s 1983 sanctuary city law, originally enacted to address homelessness but now applied to accommodate a larger migrant population, as reported by Fox Business Network.
However, the implementation of the law appears to deviate from its original intent. While the law requires providing shelter recipients with refrigerators and facilities for food preparation, migrants are instead being provided with pre-prepared meals.
Current estimates suggest that the state is providing housing and care for approximately 20,000 migrants, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, emphasized during a visit to Boston that the state has limited options and is compelled to repurpose community centers and utilize hotels to accommodate migrants.
Residents, particularly parents of children affected by the closure of the Roxbury community center, are expressing frustration over these decisions by state and city officials, who have displaced them from their community facility.