The sanctuary state will provide plane tickets for the migrants to leave

A New England state long considered a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants is now drastically scaling back its emergency shelter services for migrants and offering plane rides for them to leave, according to a Tuesday announcement

Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced the state will limit overflow shelter stays to just five days for migrants starting next month and will offer to cover airfare and other travel expenses for migrants who want to leave. seconds at Boston 25 News. The announcement comes as Massachusetts has been rocked with waves of illegal immigrants needing housing and other services.

“I want to be clear, especially for people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we don't have space here in Massachusetts,” Healey said during a news conference, according to Boston 25 News .

“Massachusetts has no shelter space and we simply cannot afford the current size of this system,” he said on Tuesday. Press release. “That's why we're making changes [Emergency Assistance] prioritizing and transitioning our safety net sites to five-day temporary respite centers.”

Instead, the state will give priority shelter to Massachusetts families with an infant, a veteran or someone with a major medical problem, Boston 25 News reported. The changes should take effect on August 1.

The five-day stay limit marks a dramatic reduction. According to the governor's press release, the four state shelters currently operating in Massachusetts, located in Lexington, Chelsea, Cambridge and Norfolk, allow migrant families to stay for 30 days and offer options to reapply.

“This is a federal issue. We still need federal help. We need federal immigration reform,” Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka said of the migrant crisis, according to Boston 25 News.

Earlier this year, the state was spending roughly $75 million a month to house families in its shelters, in accordance withGBH, a local outlet.

The announcement marks the latest effort by the Massachusetts governor to lower the costs of migrant shelter services and encourage asylum seekers to go elsewhere.

Healey deployed several top state officials in border communities in June to warn illegal immigrants against making Massachusetts their destination of choice because the state's emergency system is overwhelmed.

The Center for Immigration Studies identifies Massachusetts as a “sanctuary” state, citing a 2017 court decision that limits law enforcement's ability to detain criminal illegal aliens based only on a detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE).

Healey has also spoken out in defense of sanctuary cities. In 2017, he issued a formal declaration as the state's attorney general condemning then-President Donald Trump's effort to withhold federal funding for sanctuary cities.

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