State hosts work authorization clinic for migrants in emergency shelters

BOSTON (WWLP/SHNS) – The state will be hosting a work authorization clinic for migrants staying in emergency shelters.

The clinic will take place on Monday in Middlesex County. Governor Maura Healey said the state will organize appointments and provide transportation from shelter sites to the clinic.

The work authorization clinic is part of a multi-pronged initiative to help move more families out of state shelters as the emergency assistance system nears the 7,500-family limit that Healey has set.

The governor said her administration is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to host the clinic. They will help collect and process work authorizations.

The clinic’s goal is to give migrant families all the support they need to move out of emergency shelters and into more stable housing options.

Healey declared a state of emergency around the emergency assistance shelter system situation in August and announced on October 16 that the state’s system was reaching capacity. Since August, the governor has been calling on the Biden administration to expedite the work authorization process for new arrivals to the country and to help states like Massachusetts pay for the additional costs of sheltering the influx of people fleeing other countries.

“We are glad that the Biden-Harris Administration is hosting this clinic with us, which will help process work authorizations as efficiently as possible. Many shelter residents want to work but face significant barriers to getting their work authorizations,” Gov. Healey said in a statement. “This clinic will be critical for building on the work that our administration has already been leading to connect more migrants with work opportunities, which will help them support their families and move out of emergency shelter into more stable housing options.”