The New England state, long considered a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants, will now significantly scale back emergency migrant shelter services and provide flights for migrants to get out, it said in a statement Tuesday.

Massachusetts' Democratic governor, Maura Healey, announced that starting next month, the state will limit refugee stays in shelters to five days and will cover airfare and other travel expenses for refugees who want to leave the country. according to The announcement comes as Massachusetts is rocked by a wave of undocumented immigrants in need of housing and other services, according to Boston 25 News. (Related article: US border crisis could get worse under Kamala Harris administration, experts say)

“I want to be very clear, especially to those outside of Massachusetts who are hearing this is the place to come, there is no space in Massachusetts,” Mayor Healey said at a press conference, according to Boston 25 News.

“Massachusetts is short on shelter space and simply cannot afford to maintain the current size of our system,” she said in a statement Tuesday. press release“That's why we [Emergency Assistance] We will prioritise and transition safety net facilities into five-day respite centres.”

Instead, the state will prioritize shelter for Massachusetts families with newborns, veterans, or members with serious health issues, according to Boston 25 News. The change is set to take effect on August 1.

The five-day limit represents a dramatic reduction: Massachusetts' four currently operating state-run overflow shelters (in Lexington, Chelsea, Cambridge and Norfolk) are allowing migrant families to stay for 30 days and offer the option to reapply, according to the governor's press release.

“This is a federal issue. We still need federal help. We need federal immigration reform,” Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka said about the immigration crisis, according to Boston 25 News.

Earlier this year, the state was spending about $75 million a month to house families in shelters. according to Local outlet, GBH.

The announcement marks the Massachusetts governor's latest effort to cut costs for migrant shelter services and encourage asylum seekers to go elsewhere.

Governor Healey sent several senior state officials to the border in June to warn illegal immigrants not to make Massachusetts their destination because the state's emergency system was overwhelmed.

Center for Migration Studies Identify Massachusetts is considered a “sanctuary” state, citing a 2017 court ruling that limits law enforcement's ability to detain illegal immigrants solely based on a detention request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Healy has also spoken out in defense of sanctuary cities. In 2017 she Formal statement As state attorney general, he denounced then-President Donald Trump's efforts to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities.

As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.