Boston Herald

Right to shelter

- Joan Gonfrade Ashland

Our governor and legislator­s are placing blame on the federal government. There is plenty of blame to go around, but they need to look themselves in the mirror and realize a good portion of the Massachuse­tts immigratio­n issues are caused or exacerbate­d by their own actions, or lack of action.

They won’t change or clarify the Right to Shelter Law (which was originally put in place for homeless Massachuse­tts citizens) and have not even thought about creating Massachuse­tts’ own laws to limit immigratio­n to legal immigratio­n. Meaning laws like we used to have when people waited their turn to come here legally, prepared to work and had a clear path to citizenshi­p.

Instead, they offer migrants free housing, free medical, driver’s licenses, breaks on education and then they limit the informatio­n our RMV can give out to law enforcemen­t!

Now our taxes will be going up to support a situation which by no measure is sustainabl­e. Costing this state alone almost $1B a year! They are bankruptin­g our state. If they are worried people have been leaving, just wait…

Right now, more migrants are coming into this country every four days than we have citizens in most towns. No other country would allow this. Where is the common sense? I do not blame the immigrants — why wouldn’t they come?? Anyone in their situation would. I do blame our state AND federal government for allowing our borders to be overrun, for the increase in crime in our cities, towns and schools and for the underminin­g of our police and justice systems.

Stop the blame game and use the laws we have or change them as needed to get control of our state back before it is too lat. Then collaborat­e with other states to force the federal government to close our borders and bring back the immigratio­n laws that worked.

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