Residents of a Boston neighborhood are fuming after Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) demanded a popular sports recreational building be used to house the state’s influx of immigrants .
Healey insisted the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury, a hub for young and old residents to enjoy physical activities, would become a shelter on Wednesday for immigrants who had been sleeping on the floor of Logan International Airport .
“We’re here today because we really don’t have a choice. … Families continue to come into this country. They continue to come into Massachusetts,” Healey said at a press conference Wednesday.
Residents of Roxbury, a majority-black community, voiced their frustrations at a virtual community forum Monday, asking why their treasured recreational facility had to bear the brunt of the state’s migrant crisis.
“Roxbury is on fire! On fire! And this is a wake-up call,” a resident said at the forum.
“The state is taking care of the migrants, so who’s taking care of the kids in Roxbury?” another resident added.