WESTFIELD, MA - Parents who send their children to Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts, might want to reconsider their decision, especially if they have young daughters.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a so-called “sanctuary state,” has hatched a brainstorm—host illegal aliens on the college campus.
According to Western Mass News, Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) is still investigating the feasibility of using the greater Springfield campus as housing for illegals. The scheme hatched by Massachusetts officials would house illegals in a dormitory on campus. Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the prospect.
“What’s happening here is by attempting to solve one problem, the inability of the federal government to stop the influx of migrants that we are having right now,” said State Senator John Velis.
So out-of-control is the problem in Massachusetts (facilitated in no small part by the Biden administration’s open border policy) that Healey activated the Massachusetts National Guard to assist at shelters last week, with thousands of families seeking refuge in the commonwealth.
Healey recently toured Lammers Hall on the Westfield campus to determine its viability as a shelter.
Not so fast, said Velis.
“We had a report come out…there’s asbestos issues there, there’s no medical clinic up there. We are in the throes of a behavioral health crisis…Lammers Hall is where their mental health services are…so what will happen to that?”
Placing illegals on college campuses sounds like an ill-conceived plan, given the number of crimes they commit. According to Fox News, the number of crimes committed by illegal aliens surged in FY-21. Those crimes include assaults, domestic violence, illicit possession of weapons, and sexual offenses, data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed.
Those crimes included 1,178 incidents of assault and domestic violence crimes. Even more problematic are homicide and manslaughter convictions attributed to illegals, skyrocketing by 1,900%.
Last year, CBP announced they had apprehended two sex offenders and nine MS-13 gang members at the southern border. That number has increased this year, yet the Healey administration thinks putting such people on a college campus is wise.
Worse yet, two illegals were charged last year with plotting a mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration in Richmond, Virginia. One of those suspects had been previously deported.
Velis told Western Mass News that he had expressed concerns over the Westfield State proposal and suggested the federal government should do something to assist with the illegal alien surge. He noted that while there are shelters at other colleges in the state, they are not directly on-campus, such as the proposal at Westfield State.
“Salem State is off the campus’s property. UMass Lowell is a hotel away from the campus downtown. Lammers Hall is smack in the middle of the campus,” Velis said.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, one student applauds the efforts to house illegals somewhere but doesn’t know that doing so on a college campus is wise.
“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 sophomore Ryan Goiett.
“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,” Vellis said.
Healey’s office issued a statement claiming housing illegals remains a proposal:
"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.”
As a point of information, tuition and fees at Westfield State cost parents $17,962 for non-residents and $11,882 for out-of-state residents. Add $8550 for student housing and meals, which range from $1,624 to $4,960 per year. So at a high end of $31,472 per year, parents can send their young daughters to a college housing illegal aliens, some who may be rapists and criminals.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a so-called “sanctuary state,” has hatched a brainstorm—host illegal aliens on the college campus.
According to Western Mass News, Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) is still investigating the feasibility of using the greater Springfield campus as housing for illegals. The scheme hatched by Massachusetts officials would house illegals in a dormitory on campus. Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the prospect.
“What’s happening here is by attempting to solve one problem, the inability of the federal government to stop the influx of migrants that we are having right now,” said State Senator John Velis.
So out-of-control is the problem in Massachusetts (facilitated in no small part by the Biden administration’s open border policy) that Healey activated the Massachusetts National Guard to assist at shelters last week, with thousands of families seeking refuge in the commonwealth.
Healey recently toured Lammers Hall on the Westfield campus to determine its viability as a shelter.
Not so fast, said Velis.
“We had a report come out…there’s asbestos issues there, there’s no medical clinic up there. We are in the throes of a behavioral health crisis…Lammers Hall is where their mental health services are…so what will happen to that?”
Placing illegals on college campuses sounds like an ill-conceived plan, given the number of crimes they commit. According to Fox News, the number of crimes committed by illegal aliens surged in FY-21. Those crimes include assaults, domestic violence, illicit possession of weapons, and sexual offenses, data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed.
Those crimes included 1,178 incidents of assault and domestic violence crimes. Even more problematic are homicide and manslaughter convictions attributed to illegals, skyrocketing by 1,900%.
Last year, CBP announced they had apprehended two sex offenders and nine MS-13 gang members at the southern border. That number has increased this year, yet the Healey administration thinks putting such people on a college campus is wise.
Worse yet, two illegals were charged last year with plotting a mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration in Richmond, Virginia. One of those suspects had been previously deported.
Velis told Western Mass News that he had expressed concerns over the Westfield State proposal and suggested the federal government should do something to assist with the illegal alien surge. He noted that while there are shelters at other colleges in the state, they are not directly on-campus, such as the proposal at Westfield State.
“Salem State is off the campus’s property. UMass Lowell is a hotel away from the campus downtown. Lammers Hall is smack in the middle of the campus,” Velis said.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, one student applauds the efforts to house illegals somewhere but doesn’t know that doing so on a college campus is wise.
“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 sophomore Ryan Goiett.
“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,” Vellis said.
Healey’s office issued a statement claiming housing illegals remains a proposal:
"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.”
As a point of information, tuition and fees at Westfield State cost parents $17,962 for non-residents and $11,882 for out-of-state residents. Add $8550 for student housing and meals, which range from $1,624 to $4,960 per year. So at a high end of $31,472 per year, parents can send their young daughters to a college housing illegal aliens, some who may be rapists and criminals.
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