In a surprising and unsettling turn of events, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has ordered a full inspection of all state-run emergency shelters after a disturbing discovery in one of the facilities. Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a 28-year-old Dominican national, was arrested after local police in Revere found a dangerous stash in his taxpayer-funded hotel room. Along with an illegal AR-15 rifle, officers uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs, including fentanyl and cocaine.
This shocking arrest took place in late December at the Quality Inn, a hotel that’s part of a network of 128 hotels and motels across Massachusetts being used to house asylum seekers and homeless families. The arrest has raised serious questions about the safety and security of these shelters, especially with the ongoing immigration crisis.
Governor Healey, who has previously defended the state’s sanctuary policies, didn’t hold back in her response. She expressed outrage that the shelter system was being exploited for criminal activity and pointed the finger at Washington, D.C., for the failure to address what she called a “broken federal immigration system.” According to Healey, this incident highlights the urgent need for action at the federal level to secure the borders and prevent criminals from slipping into communities.
“It’s outrageous that this individual took advantage of our shelter system to engage in criminal activity,” Healey said, according to NBC10 Boston. “The people of Massachusetts should not continue to have to deal with the impacts of federal inaction.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Andujar entered the U.S. illegally, and authorities say the weapons and drugs found in his room carry a street value of approximately $750,000. This arrest comes on the heels of another troubling case in March, where a Haitian man was arrested for allegedly raping a disabled minor at a Comfort Inn in Rockland, which was also being used as a migrant shelter.
In light of these incidents, Healey has ordered an inspection of all emergency shelters across the state, starting with the Revere hotel where Andujar was staying. She’s also calling for a review of the intake process to ensure that similar criminal activities are prevented in the future.
Massachusetts has seen a significant increase in illegal migration, with an estimated 355,000 illegal migrants residing in the state, including around 50,000 who have arrived since 2021. The financial burden of housing these migrants is mounting, with the state projected to spend over $1 billion on the emergency shelter system in the 2025 fiscal year alone.
Governor Healey’s move to inspect shelters and reassess the state’s intake procedures is just the latest step in what has become an ongoing challenge for Massachusetts. As the state continues to grapple with the effects of federal immigration policies, residents and lawmakers alike are calling for stronger measures to ensure safety and security in these public services.