Massachusetts Set for Record Number of Deportations Despite Sanctuary State Status

The state of Massachusetts, which considers itself to be a “sanctuary state” for illegal aliens, is set to carry out a record-high number of deportations of illegals.

As reported by the Daily Caller, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has filed over 44,000 deportation cases in Massachusetts in the first nine months of fiscal year 2024. If new cases continue at this pace, then the end of the fiscal year could see as many as 59,000 deportation cases. The previous record was 54,000 in fiscal year 2023, which previously set the record for the highest number of cases in about 25 years.

Despite previously voicing her support for open borders and vowing to keep the state a “sanctuary” for illegals, Governor Maura Healey (D-Mass.) declared in July that the state would limit the length of time that an illegal could stay at state-run overflow shelters, bringing it down to just five days per illegal. This rule was implemented at all four overflow shelters, located in Cambridge, Chelsea, Lexington, and Norfolk. These shelters previously allowed illegals to stay for up to 30 days, with the option to simply re-apply for another 30 days indefinitely.

The governor’s office also pledged to pay for plane tickets and all travel expenses just to send illegals out of the state.

“I want to be clear, particularly to people outside of Massachusetts who may have gotten word that this is a place to come, that we do not have room here in Massachusetts,” said Healey during her press conference last month.

In a separate press release around the same time, Healey declared that “Massachusetts is out of shelter space, and we simply cannot afford the current size of this system.”

“That’s why we are making changes to [Emergency Assistance] prioritization and transitioning our safety-net sites to five-day temporary respite centers,” she added.

Healey’s stunning reversal on immigration reflects a broader trend of prominent Democrats who once supported mass migration, asylum, and amnesty for illegals, but who have since flip-flopped and now favor crackdowns on such hordes of illegals flooding into the country. Other examples including New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.), who has been facing an onslaught of illegals pouring into his city due to it being the single most popular destination for illegals who come into the United States.