(ProsperNews.net) – Residents of a Democrat-led New England town are objecting to official plans to use a former jailhouse as accommodation for migrants currently held at Logan International Airport in Boston. Authorities in the Massachusetts town of Norfolk, with a population of just over 11,500, will refurbish the Bay State Correctional Center and house migrants until they find work and can support themselves independently.
Around 300 residents objected to the plans at a recent public meeting, with some wearing t-shirts reading, “Save Norfolk: No Shelter.” One such resident was John Semas, who said people don’t want a migrant camp on their doorstep. Mr. Semas insisted this does not make him a bad person.
Select Board Chair Jim Lehan stated that he and his colleagues only learned about the plans once they were in place. Still, he conceded that the facility belongs to state authorities, who are under no legal obligation to inform Norfolk administrators of their intentions.
Republican State Rep. Marcus Vaughn said he, too, was kept in the dark. When he discovered what was in the works, he wrote to Norfolk residents expressing “regret” that the town was selected as the location for an “overflow shelter.” He warned that the decision, made at Governor Maura Healey’s office, will impact schools, infrastructure, and, above all, public safety. He promised Norfolk people that he would raise these issues with the Governor.
The Bay State Correctional Center can accommodate around 140 families and includes a gymnasium, cafeteria, common room, and offices that will be used to help migrants with administration and job seeking. Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice said the immigrants would also receive help speaking English, job training courses, and assistance finding permanent accommodation.
The cost of the correction center transformation is not known, but residents at the public meeting said they worried about the financial impact. They also pointed out that the town has only two elementary schools and one ambulance yet is facing a population surge of 4% overnight.
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