Facing pressure, Gov. Healey pledges to keep emergency shelters safe

Gov. Maura Healey is facing pressure to ramp up oversight at the state's emergency shelters after newly released state data showed a slew of alleged criminal activity over the past three years. At the same time, federal authorities are pursuing the case of a man charged with gun and drug crimes at an emergency shelter in Revere.

In federal court Wednesday, Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, 28, waived his right to an immediate detention hearing and remains in federal custody. Andujar Sanchez was arrested at the Quality Inn in Revere last month and faces state charges of possessing an assault rifle and $1 million worth of fentanyl.

The U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, Joshua Levy, on Wednesday said federal prosecutors became involved because of the seriousness of the case.

"If the migrant crisis creates a public safety risk we're going to hopefully be part of the solution in keeping the community safe," said Levy, who is stepping down next week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Andujar Sanchez's attorney said he was retained by his client's family in Massachusetts and plans to fight the charges. Prosecutors said Andujar Sanchez is a Dominican national who entered the country illegally and was staying with a woman at the Revere shelter. The unidentified woman called Revere police to report the gun and drugs in the hotel room.

Healey told reporters she is "glad" federal prosecutors are involved and that her administration has "zero tolerance" for criminal activity.

The Revere arrest prompted Healey to order inspections of all shelter facilities and a review of their intake procedures. At the State House on Wednesday, Healey said her administration is working to keep shelters safe. Details of how those inspections will be conducted have not been released.

"I will do everything I can to ensure the safety and well-being of residents in shelter, as well as in the community, and that's exactly why I ordered the inspections and why we took swift action to remove that individual from the Revere hotel and we'll continue to operate that way going forward," Healey said. "I will leave no stone unturned."

But state data show that criminal activity has been widely reported at state shelters, which have housed a wave of migrant families over the past three years. Healey said as many as 50,000 migrants have come to the state during that time and most people are not involved in crime.

"The vast majority of folks are complying with rules, some are in school, many of them are working," she said.

The Massachusetts Republican Party has released the state data, obtained through public records requests, showing hundreds of serious incidents have been reported at state emergency shelters since 2022. The heavily redacted data describe reports of domestic violence, assault, rape and human trafficking.

The state's GOP party spokesman, Logan Trupiano, said the state should have had better oversight of a program estimated to cost almost $1 billion this fiscal year.

"This has been a taxpayer funded humanitarian crisis that's been happening under everyone's noses," Trupiano said. "Great the governor has decided now she's going to take action because this is public, but they've known about this since 2022."

Republicans are seeking to amend the state's "right to shelter" law, which promises housing to families with children. Trupiano said the GOP wants the law changed to require six months of Massachusetts residency to be eligible for family housing.