NORFOLK, MASS. (WHDH) - Norfolk residents rallied to protest the relocation of migrants to the old Bay State Correctional Center.
The migrants are expected to arrive on Thursday or Friday. Officials say at least 405 migrants will be housed in the town.
Not everyone in town is happy with the move, saying not enough resources are available to house the migrants. Dozens of people protested at Norfolk’s main town circle.
“We just don’t think it’s fair. We don’t have the infrastructure here. It’s a small town,” said Norfolk resident Jack Olivieri. “We have no traffic lights. We have no sidewalks except right in the center of town. The prison facility is out in the middle of nowhere. We have a pizza shop, we have a pharmacy, and a few other small businesses, and that’s about it.”
Olivieri is part of the Concerned Citizens of Norfolk. Members of the group worry the town will not be able to handle the influx of people, whether it’s transporting the families around town or finding classroom space when school resumes.
“There’s no resentment towards the migrants or the people that are coming. It’s not their fault. They’re blameless. It’s the politicians who made these decisions without consulting with us. They told us 30 days before they were going to show up,” Olivieri said.
The state’s emergency shelter program has been at capacity for several weeks.
The Healey administration sent officials to the U.S. border to help stem the flow of families coming to the state by informing them there is no shelter available here.
“We’ve had a number of conversations with communities including Norfolk about the situation and I think that things are going well there and according to plan,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I also would stress we’re going to continue to call on Congress to act to take steps to resolve the immigration crisis.”
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