The number of illegal immigrants camping out at Boston Logan International Airport appears to have increased in recent months, according to several news reports.
Currently, more than 100 people are sleeping on the floor in the airport’s baggage claim area, the New York Post reported.
‘We don’t want families staying at Logan Airport.’
Late last month, Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to a “minor altercation” between two families staying in Terminal E, Lt. Sean Quirk told WCVB.
“Troopers identified two families who were involved in a disagreement over the use of a power outlet,” he said. “The involved families were separated with one leaving the terminal.”
In response to the incident, Governor Maura Healey stated, “We don’t want families staying at Logan Airport. We continue to call on Congress to act to deal with what’s happening at the border, in terms of reform here.”
Massport did not confirm whether the number of illegal aliens sleeping in the airport has recently doubled, WFXT reported. However, it noted that the individuals are not at the airport during the day, as they are transported to state welcome centers.
Massachusetts, the only right-to-shelter state in the country, ran out of emergency shelter space in November after reaching capacity at approximately 7,500 families.
Healey’s office announced last month that it plans to convert Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk, a decommissioned prison, into overflow shelter space for roughly 400 homeless families, Blaze News previously reported. The new emergency shelter was slated to open sometime this month.
Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice previously told WCVB that the facility, which features dorm-like rooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a common room, and offices, is still “in good condition.” The state also plans to create a play area for children and classroom spaces for adults to attend language courses, workshops, and job training.
Healey’s office stated that the new planned safety-net site will be used to house illegal immigrants currently residing at the city’s airport.
Jim Lehan, a member of the Norfolk Select Board, previously expressed concerns that the town’s elementary school does not have enough space to accommodate an influx of additional children.
He stated that the town was “taken back a little bit” by the state’s plan to convert the shuttered prison into a safety-net site.
“When you have no knowledge of it, and you start getting phone calls about something you have no idea what they are calling about. That was a little tough,” he said. “All we know is we have got people coming here and we have got issues that are related to it, and we are going to have to work our way through it.”
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