[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4259-H4260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MIGRANT CRISIS IN MASSACHUSETTS

  (Mr. AUCHINCLOSS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the 
migrant crisis in my home State of Massachusetts.
  Massachusetts is the only State with a right-to-shelter law that 
guarantees every family with children a place to stay. According to 
recent reporting in The New York Times, 80 cities and towns across the 
Commonwealth have received migrants to date, with the number of 
families living in emergency shelters and hotels statewide doubling in 
the past year to nearly 6,300 last week.

[[Page H4260]]

  As the great-grandson of Jews who fled the Russian pogroms, I take 
seriously, like so many do, upholding the values this Nation was 
founded upon, including providing a safe haven for those seeking 
refuge. However, that promise is under threat now by our broken 
immigration system.
  Right now, Governor Healey and her administration are doing 
everything they can to rise to the challenge, but without Federal 
action to fix what was a Federal problem, States will continue to 
operate with their hands tied behind their backs.
  In addition to passing a disaster supplemental to provide FEMA with 
additional resources for States, we should be having a serious 
conversation in Washington about how to fix our immigration system to 
provide safe and legal pathways to entry.
  Last Congress, Democrats invited Republicans to the table in good 
faith to make progress on issues like infrastructure. Now, Republicans 
should do the same on immigration instead of demonizing those seeking a 
better life for themselves and their families.

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