Tempers flare as Quincy debates temporary shelter for homeless refugee families

QUINCY − Tempers flared as hundreds of people gathered to discuss one of the city's most heated topics: the temporary shelter for migrant families at Eastern Nazarene College.

Some people attended the meeting at Central Middle School on Tuesday night to question and criticize state, city and college officials.

There was a large police presence inside and outside the meeting.

One of the officers cautioned a spectator after state Secretary of Housing and Human Services Kathleen Walsh was the target of profanity and threats from a small number of people at the meeting.

Walsh had said the families arrive after "very long journeys" lasting "literally for years."

"They've experienced trauma we can't imagine," she said.

Her words were met with a mix of cheers and boos.

She said the Family Welcome Center, operated by Baystate Community Services at Eastern Nazarene, serves as a triage for new arrivals. ENC has contracted with the state to host the program for one year.

Walsh said 350 families have passed through ENC since operations began July 31, most staying from five to seven days. The temporary shelter can house a maximum of 58 families at one time.

State and ENC officials provide details on Family Welcome Center and shelter

There are two separate services for the immigrants at ENC: the Family Welcome Center, where the families are processed, given a health screening and a needs assessment and then hooked up with other service providers; and a temporary family emergency shelter run by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare. It provides food, basic medical care and transportation while the families are on campus.

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, who hosted the meeting, said none of the children housed at the temporary shelter have been enrolled in Quincy Public Schools due to their short stays in the city.

State Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus said the state's system of shelters is facing "unprecedented demand." He said 6,400 homeless families in Massachusetts rely on the state for emergency shelter, a 68% increase since January.

By law, Massachusetts must provide housing to families. The 1983 "right to shelter" legislation applies to adults with minor dependents as well as pregnant mothers. It does not cover individuals or undocumented families. Augustus said the law "reflects many of our values."

Augustus said the migrant families, the majority from Haiti, all have legal status. In December 2022, the Department of Homeland Security extended "temporary protected status" for Haitian refugees until Aug. 3, 2024.

Augustus emphasized that Quincy is not being singled out. From Pittsfield to Barnstable, about 80 communities have opened hotels, permanent shelters and other facilities to refugee families.

"More are opening every week," he said.

Crowd expresses support and skepticism about shelter for migrant families in Quincy

James Ikeda, a history teacher at Quincy High School, thanked the panelists for their work, saying "all people should have a home" and there should be no hierarchy for who receives services for basic needs.

He responded to several shouts from the audience falsely characterizing the migrant families as "illegals."

"Do a little research," he said, and referred to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first of several laws that restricted immigration by race and ethnicity until their repeal by the Immigration Act of 1965.

A number of Chinese immigrants spoke through an interpreter against the admission of refugees into the United States and the services at ENC, saying they waited years to come to the United States, worked hard and paid their taxes.

Others voiced support for the refugees. In a poignant moment, Vietnamese refugee and Quincy resident Thuy Leung talked about how she fled violence in her country eight years ago, spending 10 days on a boat in the Pacific Ocean.

"(The migrant families) are running for their lives," said Leung, fighting back tears as she spoke to the crowd.

She said that thanks to the open hearts of ordinary Americans, she was able to make a life for herself in the United States. Leung proposed a teddy bear drive for children housed temporarily at Eastern Nazarene.

Walsh said that while many of the migrant families entering Massachusetts struggle with English, they all know one word: "work."

However, snags in the work authorization process have prevented migrants from filling jobs in the human services sector, Walsh said. Gov. Maura Healey recently pressed the Biden administration to speed up these authorizations.

'This is not Christian.' ENC faces criticism for lack of communication

Several neighbors of the Eastern Nazarene campus faulted the school for a lack of communication.

Addressing Vice President of Academic Affairs Bill McCoy, Jennifer McGrail said ENC should have sent out letters before the welcome center and temporary shelter opened.

Anne Ford, an ENC alumna, said two of her friends were displaced from their dormitories with only 30 days' notice. She said her friends had to give up their jobs and move out of state because they could not find affordable accommodations elsewhere in the city.

"This is not Christian," Ford said.

McCoy acknowledged the displacements but said 30 days' notice was given before ENC agreed to house the Family Welcome Center. The dorms formerly occupied by the displaced students now house college employees, not migrants, McCoy said.

Mayor Koch responds to criticism over shelter in Quincy

Mayor Koch also received criticism during the meeting. Sarah Balforth asked what Quincy is doing to welcome and support the temporary shelter.

"What does the city stand for?" she said.

Mimi Balsamo criticized a letter circulated by the mayor that stated the city had no role in planning or approving the welcome center. She said the letter tried to "disavow responsibility."

Koch said the city has been and remains a city of immigrants, with 30% of its population coming from other countries. He said his administration has supported agencies such as Quincy Asian Resources Inc. and Baystate Community Services, which serve immigrant communities.

On Saturday, a group of neo-Nazis marched outside Eastern Nazarene where migrant families are housed. They held flares and chanted "go home," Quincy police said.

The next day, a group of counterprotesters voiced their support for the migrant families.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: What happened at ENC migrant shelter meeting in Quincy