BOSTON – In a year-end interview with WBZ-TV, Gov. Maura Healey had a message for the handful of communities in Massachusetts that label themselves as ‘sanctuary’ cities for immigrants.
Immigration in Massachusetts
“We are not a refuge. When you come here, there’s no housing here, and I think that’s been effective in changing the trajectory of [migration to Massachusetts]Healey said.
Healey joined WBZ-TV for a two-part interview. The second part will be broadcast on December 29.
“I don’t really understand what that terminology means in practice because I think I come to this as a former prosecutor and attorney general as well,” Healey said. “I can tell you that when it comes to criminal investigations into violent crimes, into drug trafficking, arms trafficking and human trafficking, today, and this has always been the case, local law enforcement, state law enforcement, working with federal law enforcement agencies, will continue to do that work. ”
Healey also called on Congress and the new Trump administration to renew efforts to pass immigration reform and border security.
How Trump became president
And as to how Trump won the election, Healey echoed the view of many observers that “the Democrats didn’t pay enough attention to people’s pocketbooks, to their economic circumstances.”
“I am very focused on costs, [with] the tax cuts I passed…[we made] community college and UMass more affordable…we’ve done a lot of economic development to support small businesses and entrepreneurs who need more resources and help from the state, and we’ve really focused on housing…we need to reduce the cost of lowering houses,” Healey said. “I think the Democrats should be there. That has to be the focus, that has to be the message. And there were a lot of people who didn’t feel connected to that in the last election.”
Criticism of Steward’s reporting
Healey pushed back on a harsh Boston Globe Spotlight team story that criticized Healey and state regulators for a “failure to discipline the Steward hospital chain” as it pushed its interests in the US. bankruptcywhich gives rise to criminal investigation and the closure from two local hospitals.
The article “was quite outrageous, a lot of innuendo, a lot of information left out,” Healey said.
“I think it was an unfair job. I am incredibly proud of the work that has been done by my administration, and the collaboration with the workforce, the unions in these facilities, the collaboration with other hospital providers… in the face of bankruptcy, the closure of eight We have six of those save hospitals, save 13,000 jobs and protect the stability of the health care market, and most importantly drive a whole bad guy responsible for all of this out of Massachusetts,” Healey said. .
‘I filed a lawsuit [former Steward CEO] Ralph de la Torre as Attorney General. Why? Because he didn’t provide any financial information. He fought us every step of the way. And in fact, the Public Prosecution Service filed a report in 2015 that exposed the distress, the financial distress that Stewart was in. So I think the state and the regulators have done their job,” Healey added.
Watch the entire interview on-demand and join us on Sunday, December 29 at 8:30 a.m. for part two of our conversation with the governor, focused on the key issues facing the state in 2025.
Jon Keller
