Wealthy sanctuary state to collapse under its $1.8 billion migrant 'timebomb'

It's one of the wealthiest states in America, with residents of its most posh zip code luxuriating in $3 million redbrick apartments.

But the writing is on the wall for Massachusettssays an alarming new study.

The 50,000 illegal migrants who have entered the state since then Joe Biden became president are putting a costly strain on schools, health and other services.

Jessica Vaughan, author of the report for the Center for Immigration Studieshe says the state is destined for bankruptcy.

That's because migrants will drain state coffers of $1.8 billion over the next two years.

While some illegal migrants will work and pay taxes, that income won't come close to covering the cost of social services for the 355,000 of them, Vaughan says.

“These migrants represent an imminent fiscal disaster for Massachusetts taxpayers,” Vaughan told the Mail.

“Even if they are working, they are not equipped with the skills and education to avoid being a drain on public coffers.”

His report comes amid a difficult 2024 presidential race, with Republican nominee Donald Trump using immigration as a weapon against his rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Jessica Vaughan, migration expert

Republicans call Harris a failed “border czar,” as he was tasked address the root causes of migration from Central Americaeven as illegal border crossings broke records.

Still, the number of illegal entries has fallen in recent months to levels not seen since the Trump administration, and it remains unclear how the issue will push the ballot in November.

Trump, meanwhile, has promised to launch mass deportations if he does return to the White House.

Although more than 2,000 miles from the southern border, Massachusetts has seen about 50,000 newly arrived illegal migrants since January 2021, the study says.

Some joined relatives, others sought work in Boston, Worcester, Springfield and other large cities.

Some used buses provided by officials at the border, and a few dozen were controversial Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flew to the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.

At first they were welcomed with open arms by a blue state that offers “sanctuary” protection to migrants.

Hundreds rally to end border crossings, sanctuary cities and housing for undocumented immigrants in Boston, Massachusetts in May

Migrants can no longer sleep overnight at Boston's Logan Airport

Taxpayer-funded computer skills class for migrant influx in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood

More than half of Americans want to see mass crackdowns and deportations of undocumented immigrants

In recent months, however, the mood has turned to frustration.

Gov. Maura Healey recently announced that migrants would no longer be able to sleep overnight at Boston's Logan Airport, after dozens of families had been sleeping there for months.

Migrants slept in Boston Medical Center's emergency department until last year, when they were told to stop.

Even so, newcomers continue to show up at the facility and have been spotted lounging outside on benches.

Plans for a shelter for migrant families on Cape Cod have met stiff opposition from residents, who called the proposal a “nightmare.”

The Republican-run city of Taunton was so upset about state officials sending migrants to an emergency shelter at its 155-room Clarion Hotel that sued the owners for security violations.

Vaughan's report also documents assaults committed by illegal immigrants in Massachusetts.

They include a Dominican cocaine trafficker, a Russian con artist and a Guatemalan man who was arrested for raping minors.

But the most shocking case is 26-year-old Haitian migrant Cory Alvarez, who is behind bars fighting charges that he raped a disabled teenage girl at his shelter at the Comfort Inn in Rockland.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, has called for actions at the border and money for services that operate in her cash-strapped state.

Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, controversially brought a few dozen migrants to the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.

In January, about 30 immigrant families slept in Terminal E at Boston's Logan International Airport

The influx of migrants has further strained social services in a state already struggling with worrying levels of homelessness.

Massachusetts already spends $1 billion each year on emergency shelters, but Vaughan says that masks the true cost to taxpayers.

The influx of newcomers under Biden, including about 10,000 children, 8,500 of whom were traveling without an adult, is taking a further toll on education, health and other social services, he adds.

Over the next two years, the combined cost of food stamps, schooling, health care and public safety could reach $1.8 billion, Vaughan says.

This “fiscal time bomb” represents a significant portion of the state's $58 billion budget.

Gov. Healey, a Democrat, joined eight other migrant-hit states in January in calling on the White House and Congress for action at the border and billions of additional dollars to keep services running.

But according to Vaughan, even an emergency grant won't solve Massachusetts' spending problems for years to come.

Instead, state lawmakers need to cut welfare payments to migrants and get tough on employers who hire undocumented people, he said.

They should also end sanctuary policies that prevent immigration officials from launching deportation raids and even “taking advantage” of the remittance flowers migrants send to their families abroad, he added.

The governor's office did not respond to our request for comment. The White House and other migration experts have argued that newcomers often work hard, pay taxes and help grow an economy.