Over 100 migrants and homeless people have been relocated to a hotel next to Route 3 in Kingston, Massachusetts, and local leaders say they were caught off guard.
The group includes 64 children, 20 of whom are school-aged, according to town officials. Most of the people are from Haiti, according to The Boston Globe.
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"I think we’re more disappointed that we weren’t given the notification that they would be coming so that we could prepare ourselves to provide whatever services these individuals need," Kingston Town Administrator Keith Hickey said, who said the town was only given a heads up from the state on Friday.
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The Massachusetts Congressional delegation is calling on the federal government to step in with more resources and information to help local organizations deal with a growing influx of migrants.
"The Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants welcomed about 1,000 individuals in 2021 that included refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers," delegation members wrote in a newly released letter. "But this pace has increased significantly this year: estimates suggest that over 2,000 migrants, primarily from Haiti and South American countries, arrived in the Boston area between May and August 2022."
Meanwhile, leaders in neighboring Plymouth were told to expect the arrival of 27 families to the area, some of whom have already arrived, according to the Globe.
A spokesperson for the Baker administration told the Globe the state uses apartments, shelters and as a last resort, hotels and motels as emergency shelters for families.
"Due to high demand in the shelter system, some families recently have been temporarily placed in hotels, including in Plymouth and in Kingston, while more permanent shelter or housing is found," the spokesperson said to the news outlet.
Hickey is most concerned with ensuring the newly-relocated children can have what they need to learn.
"The biggest challenge we face immediately is being able to provide the resources that the kids need to attend schools," Hickey said.
One man, who spoke anonymously to the Globe, said the group had been staying in Methuen before being moved to Kingston late last week.
Republican candidate for Massachusetts Governor Geoff Diehl issued a statement about the situation, saying that he was "shocked" by what was going on, while criticizing the President.
"This is a disastrous situation that is the direct result of President Biden’s open border policies," Diehl said in the statement. "And, it is aided and abetted by politicians here in Massachusetts who support sanctuary policies making our state an attractive destination for these individuals."
State House News Service contributed to this report.
