(Western Mass News – Kristin Burnell) New details are emerging into the migrant crisis in the Bay State and the proposal to house migrants at Westfield State University.
“I do get that we need to house them because there’s a lot coming in, but at the same time, I don’t think we have enough dorms and stuff to be able to hold them,” said Westfield State University sophomore Ryan Goiett.
Students at Westfield State University spoke out Friday following a proposal to house migrants on-campus after Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency last month due to the over 5,800 families seeking shelter across the commonwealth. Healey’s administration recently toured Lammers Hall on the Westfield State campus as a potential shelter location.
“The mission of higher education is to educate students and prepare them for the workforce. Universities, colleges should not be considered until every other single option is exhausted,” said State Senator John Velis.
Velis told Western Mass News that there are other solutions to address the migrant crisis and he strongly opposes the proposal.
“There are existing buildings, infrastructures, things where we can do this,” Velis noted.
He is now calling on the federal government to address the issue, rather than the state.
“This is the federal government’s problem and we are having to step up and deal with it. We don’t have the funds, the resources, the bandwidth to do it and we’re not getting that help so people are frustrated,” Velis explained.
Healey’s office also confirmed Friday that this still remains a proposed idea. She told us in a statement, in part:
“Our administration is in ongoing discussions with Westfield State University about potentially utilizing space in an unused building. We are constantly evaluating options, including at other public institutions, to expand shelter capacity to ensure families arriving in Massachusetts have a safe place to sleep during this emergency.”