*** HN PHOTOS *** “THE MIGRANTS ARE COMING! THE MIGRANTS ARE...

[HN PHOTOS, NOTES & MULLINGS ON THE MATTER]

“Up to 100 displaced and migrant families are expected to be placed at the Yarmouth Resort as early as next week under a state of emergency order declared by Gov. Maura Healey’s administration earlier this month,” was the first line published in yesterday’s Cape Cod Times report.

“As of Wednesday morning, 5,906 displaced and migrant families were staying in state shelters. That is 356 more families than Aug. 7, the day before Healey declared a state of emergency in response to a rapid increase in migrant arrivals that has pushed emergency shelters to the brink,” according to yesterday’s report in the Boston Herald. The Herald’s article goes on to point out that according to the Healey administration, the state is spending “roughly $45 million a month on sheltering and providing basic necessities to displaced and migrant families.”

Two days ago, HN was informed about as many as 50 migrants possibly being bussed to and sheltered at a hotel in Eastham, much to the dismay of several local officials who were reportedly blindsided by the news. That number is closer to 35 migrants according to a comment reportedly made to the Cape Cod Times by Sen. Julian Cyr – so everyone should feel a bit relieved, I suppose…

HN reached out to a high-ranking Eastham police official for comment but has not heard back yet.

HN suspects the numbers of migrants being funded and sheltered on the Cape by Governor Healey’s administration to be much, much higher. And the numbers are continuing to grow by the day by all accounts. There are at least two migrant “welcome centers” already open and operating within the commonwealth, in Allston and Quincy, with a third being considered in Worcester, according to an Aug. 18, 2023 article in the Boston Herald. To where these ever-increasing numbers of migrants are being relocated should be a matter of public record. There needs to be full transparency regarding these growing numbers and the communities impacted, along with a true and accurate accounting on how many tax dollars are actually being spent. HN suspects the $45 million a month is a lowball number.

But what about our own people? How much is being spent on the people of the Cape already here, struggling to find and afford their own basic shelter? What about our large numbers of disenfranchised men and woman already living on the streets?

Upon hearing yesterday’s news, my heart broke for the people already living outside on the streets of Hyannis, the ones having to endure these recent rains. I happen to know some of them, and I didn’t see anyone taking care of their basic shelter needs this morning when I checked. I’m unaware of any “state of emergency” being declared for them. And I don’t see the welcome centers for people already here trying to find housing, including those already homeless or those about to be. But I do see the daily images of the migrants from other nations flooding across our southern border, and it confuses me. I used to live in Mexico (more on that later), and I had to fill out a lot of forms to work there and pay my own way. I had to be vetted and the hoops were numerous, to say the least.

Our current situation sincerely confuses me. I just don’t understand.

I used to fly with my baby daughter when I returned to the U.S. visiting during my time living overseas. At the beginning of each flight, a stewardess (as they were called in those days), would tell me that in the event of a loss in cabin pressure, that I should put the oxygen mask on myself first, and then on my baby. In other words, I would need to take care of myself first in order to take care of her. In fact, the survival of us both would depend on me taking care of myself first. And I keep thinking, ‘are the people of the United States taking care of themselves first?’

This morning, I went out on the streets within a block or two of my current home in the downtown area. I wanted to carefully photograph and document the poor souls already here and living outside in the rain, because I just couldn’t get them off of my mind. It didn’t take long to find a number of poor souls.

I met one man who also happened to be awake at around 4:00 a.m. when I took the following photos. This man grew up in my neighborhood. He is not a drug addict nor boozer. But he’s in his 60s now, and physically unable to work the two to three jobs needed to at least have an outside chance at finding shelter here. I remembered when he was a strapping teen, cruising up and down our street on his bicycle, happy, without a clue as to how badly the state of Massachusetts would eventually end up disrespecting and ultimately mistreating him, just because he doesn’t check any of the political boxes needed to be treated humanely around here.