Brendan Fitzpatrick
11 September 2023
News

Healey Appeals to Feds to Speed Up Migrant Work Process

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has made an appeal to the federal government to speed up the process to authorize migrants for work.

Joshua Qualls, Governor’s Press Office

FRAMINGHAM - Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has made an appeal to the federal government to speed up the process to authorize migrants for work, as the state continues to manage an influx of people from outside of the United States.

State officials recently appealed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), citing both the local refugee crisis and ongoing workforce shortages. In a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Healey advocated for changes that would allow more migrants to be authorized to work and for more assistance for emergency shelters across the Commonwealth.

This comes as Framingham continues to be impacted by the increase in the refugee population. Most of the people being sheltered in a trio of hotels within the city are from Haiti. Multiple organizations have been working in conjunction with Mayor Charlie Sisitsky in order to secure vital resources like food and clothing for more than 50 families in Framingham.

Healey had previously declared a state of emergency on the matter, as up to 250 National Guard members are eligible to be activated to help at emergency hotel sites within Massachusetts.

Further articles

This week on The Frame: MetroWest Medical Center announces a new maternity ward plan, details on the upcoming preliminary School Committee election in District 2, and a look at harm reduction work being done locally to combat the opioid epidemic.

Resources in Framingham provided by the Justice Resource Institute recently ended, leaving local leaders evaluating options as they consider feedback from residents.

MetroWest Medical Center leaders announced that the local hospital’s nursery will be shifted to a Level IB facility equipped for some complications, as opposed to one that offers basic care for newborns.