In response to the ongoing surge of asylum seekers in Massachusetts, calls have been mounting for the affluent Boston suburb of Wellesley to open its doors and provide shelter for migrants. However, this proposition has raised concerns over the disproportionate burden placed on lower-income communities. The tension reached a boiling point recently when a state-run community center in Roxbury was converted into a temporary shelter for migrants, sparking protests.

The Boston Globe reported that some residents of Wellesley expressed openness to the idea of housing migrants, emphasizing that the town had the financial resources to take on this responsibility. One local resident pointed out that Wellesley had recently invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultants, stating, "We have money to spend on lots of things that are so irrelevant. We just hired a consultant from Arlington to tell us how to talk to each other."

Notably, Wellesley is renowned as the home of Wellesley College, a prestigious women's liberal arts college that boasts notable alumnae, including Hillary Clinton. Regina LaRocque, a member of Wellesley's Town Meeting and a professor at Harvard Medical School, voiced her support for welcoming migrants, recognizing the humanitarian crisis Massachusetts is facing. LaRocque stated, "We are dealing with a humanitarian crisis here in Massachusetts, and all of our communities should be stepping up to meet the needs of people arriving as migrants."

Boston councilwoman Julia Mejia echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of wealthier communities sharing the burden of housing migrants. Mejia stated, "I think everybody needs to start opening their doors because this is a shared responsibility." She called on cities and towns with more resources than Boston to step forward and alleviate the pressure.

Marcela Garcia, a columnist and Editorial Board member at the Boston Globe, also supported the idea of housing migrants in Wellesley. In an op-ed, Garcia questioned why predominantly Black, low-income communities like Roxbury, which historically lacked investment, should be expected to bear the brunt of the crisis without wealthier communities taking on their fair share.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey acknowledged the challenges posed by the continuous influx of migrant families, stating that the state government had no choice but to open temporary shelters. Healey emphasized, "Families continue to come into this country, continue to come to Massachusetts, and we have over the last several months opened up locations throughout the state."

Currently, there are three larger state-operated overflow family shelter sites, with the converted community center in Roxbury being the fourth. Additionally, there are smaller emergency shelter sites in approximately 90 communities in the state. The overflow sites are currently serving 656 families on a waitlist hoping to enter the state's emergency family shelter program.

Governor Healey, along with Boston's Democratic mayor, Wendy Wu, has appealed to the Biden administration for more assistance in addressing the growing influx of migrants.

As the debate over housing migrants continues, the wealthy suburb of Wellesley finds itself at the center of a contentious discussion about the distribution of responsibility in addressing the ongoing migrant crisis in Massachusetts.