Back in 1983, Massachusetts passed a “right to shelter” law similar to the one in New York City, but it was long before anyone began seriously talking about “sanctuary” status. Rather than addressing illegal aliens, the state was simply affirming the right of its own residents to have shelter available. But the law wasn’t limited to those with legal residence in the state, so now illegal migrants have been benefitting from those rules as well. That gravy train has now been stretched to the breaking point, however, as a flood of migrants, particularly in Boston, has added to the state’s own masses of homeless citizens, and the shelters are already overwhelmed. This weekend, Governor Maura Healey edged toward deciding to do what so many other mayors and governors have done and declare a state of emergency based on the lack of housing. She still hasn’t made it official, but it sounds like it will happen presently. So what will that mean for Massachusetts? (Boston Globe)

The state’s shelter system has become so overburdened that Governor Maura Healey is preparing to take action aimed at relieving the pressure exacerbated by an influx of migrants on top of the state’s already dire housing needs, according to several people with knowledge of the proposed plan.

The action could come as early as this week in the form of an emergency declaration, which some shelter directors say is much needed, said four people briefed on the administration’s plan.

The governor will make an announcement “related to the emergency shelter system” at a news conference Tuesday morning, according to a spokesperson.

I won’t make light of the fact that the migrants have turned Massachusetts’ homeless housing “problem” (which was already very real) into a full-blown crisis. It’s happening all over the nation. But as Healey prepares to make this move, we should keep in mind what a state of emergency actually is and how these things tend to play out.

First of all, states of emergency were traditionally declared after a true, unexpected emergency, generally precipitated by an “Act of God.” A sudden, massive flood, a tornado or hurricane, earthquakes… that sort of thing. All can be devastating, but they also tend to be isolated, unique events. States and cities could receive extra funding and resources, clean up from the disaster, and then end the state of emergency and move on.

That’s a far cry from what we’re seeing these days. Just as we saw during COVID, executives can declare states of emergency to seize all sorts of extralegal powers without legislative oversight. They’re already threatening to declare a “climate crisis” for the same purposes. In this case, Governor Healey would be able to plead for additional federal funds for housing. (The state is already receiving FEMA funds for that purpose.) But she would also grant herself the power to call out the National Guard to “maintain order.” And she would be able to skip the normal procurement rules that require a competitive bid process for government spending. That throws open the door to cronyism and wasteful spending.

Unlike “typical” states of emergency after natural disasters, the housing crisis doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. This state of emergency could drag on for years, with the governor having extraordinary powers that would be almost impossible to challenge. If this is “the new normal” in state governance, we’re seeing a very dangerous precedent being set.

And finally, I will remind everyone that, unlike a natural disaster, there is nothing “natural” about the migrant crisis in Massachusetts and across the rest of the nation. This was not an unpredictable Act of God. It was an act of Joe Biden when he opened the southern border and mandated a halt to deportations upon taking office. And it was completely predictable because many of us working at conservative media outlets did predict it before he was even sworn in. So no… this should not qualify as a state of emergency. Until Maura Healey and Michelle Wu step up and place the blame squarely at Joe Biden’s door and demand that he seal the border, we shouldn’t send one additional penny of federal aid to Massachusetts for this housing crisis.