Massachusetts National Guard members were officially deployed as "rapid response teams" Wednesday to assist with the state's bursting migrant shelters, as pressure mounts for President Biden to address the crisis in the state.
The move to deploy 250 members comes as Democrat Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency several weeks ago because of the strain on the shelter system.
"Massachusetts is in a state of emergency, and we need all hands-on deck to meet this moment and ensure families have access to safe shelter and basic services," Healy said in a statement.
Currently, more than 6,000 migrant families are in emergency shelters across the state. Massachusetts is a right to shelter state, and must provide emergency housing to families in need.