BOSTON — The temporary migrant shelter that opened in Roxbury last week is already close to reaching capacity.
According to the Boston Herald, the converted Melnea Cass Recreation Center has enough beds for about 400 people and Mayor Wu says the facility is close to that limit.
The state reached its self-imposed capacity of 7,500 families in November but the population has only continued to grow.
The former Roxbury recreation center is housing migrants who were sleeping at Boston’s Logan Airport.
Advertisement
Governor Healey says the plan is to stop using the complex as a shelter by the end of May but a bill to implement strict limits at the southern border recently failed in the Senate.
“It would have ended the migrant crisis and the in-flow of people into this country, Healey said in a news conference. “It would have given 118 billion dollars to states like Massachusetts who have been having to bear the cost for so long,” she added.
For months, Governor Healey has urged members of Congress to pass the deal. The bill also includes funding for Ukraine and Israel.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Advertisement
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
ALLSTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Boston police are searching for a gunman who opened fire in Allston Thursday and left one person hurt.
Police responded to a radio call for a person shot in the area of Brighton Avenue at approximately 6:46 p.m. When officers arrived, they said they found a male “juvenile” suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim’s age has not been released.
Boston police said the shooter fled the scene and remains at large. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston police.
Advertisement
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox
A State Police trooper who was allegedly found “slumped over” in his car at around 5 a.m. in the South End with an open container of High Noon vodka has been “relieved of duty.”
Mass State Police confirmed to the Herald Wednesday night that Trooper Donovan Preston, 31, arrested for alleged drunken driving in Boston this past weekend, “has been relieved of duty.” Preston’s base pay is listed as $80,213.
A Boston Police report states that police arrived at Herald Street on Saturday to see Preston “stopped in lane 2 of the road” with his brake lights on. The suspect was slumped over “with his eyes closed,” the report adds.
“The officer observed that the car was on and in drive. The officer observed an open container of alcohol (High Noon) in the cupholder,” according to the report. The BPD officer then knocked on the window “for approximately 10 seconds before the suspect lifted his head up.”
Advertisement
Once he picked his head up, police said he appeared “confused and he looked around. The suspect’s vehicle began to roll to which the officer announced, ‘Boston Police. Open the Door.’ ”
Preston stopped on the three-lane, outbound road with his black BMW in the middle of two lanes.
A State Police spokesman said in an email: “Trooper Donovan Preston was relieved of duty and will be subject to a department discipline process.” All other comments were directed toward the police report.
That report, provided to the Herald Wednesday night, added that State Police were notified after Preston’s arrest.
The can of High Noon was logged into the evidence book.
Advertisement
This latest OUI case comes as State Police Sgt. Scott Quigley is being investigated in an alleged drunken driving fatal crash in Woburn in 2023 that killed a disabled passenger in a van.
In the Quigley case, his blood alcohol level reportedly tested at a .114 at the hospital following the crash (the legal limit is .08). That detail came out in a wrongful death suit filed by the victim Angelo Schettino’s family.
‘Unless he’s s###-faced, I’m not worried’: Mass State Police dash cam catches aftermath of deadly cruiser crash [+video]
The smashed van at the Woburn crash scene. (MSP body camera video screengrab)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3XMKXUQJBYVAXHALX5BU2ARQ.jpeg?ssl=1 "Boston Mayor Wu says the temporary migrant shelter in Roxbury is close to reaching capacity")
