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Former Massachusetts shelter director Jon Fetherston has raised concerns about the state’s right-to-shelter laws, particularly focusing on the lack of vetting processes for undocumented immigrants who may be taking advantage of these policies. Fetherston, once at the helm of the Marlborough Holiday Inn shelter, argues that the surge in undocumented immigrants has placed an overwhelming burden on the state’s resources. Massachusetts has allocated about $1.1 billion this fiscal year to support migrants, frequently using hotels as temporary shelters. Fetherston contends that this has resulted in some local residents being unable to access these facilities.
Massachusetts’ right-to-shelter law, established in 1983, obligates the state to provide housing for displaced families and pregnant women. Even after reaching capacity in 2023, these shelters continue to accommodate a growing number of undocumented immigrant families. Fetherston has reported incidents of violence within these facilities and criticized the lack of consequences for individuals involved in such behaviors. He expressed particular concern after the arrest of Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, who was found with drugs and a firearm while staying in a state-funded room.
The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities in Massachusetts asserts that it conducts regular security checks, a claim Fetherston disputes based on his experiences. “I worked in that shelter for a very limited time,” Fetherston stated in a recent interview. “You can’t hide an AR-15 in that room. You cannot hide drugs in that room. The rooms are not big… the case manager there should have been standing up… there should have been red flags… to say ‘Hey, listen, this guy’s not attending those meetings. This guy is blowing off housekeeping.’”
Governor Maura Healey has advocated for enhanced vetting processes to ensure that emergency shelter occupants are legally residing in the U.S. However, Fetherston questions the practicality of this proposal, especially in the absence of proper identification. He has shared experiences of having to deny shelter to American citizens, including veterans, due to the presence of undocumented immigrants.
In Europe, tech billionaire Elon Musk has sparked controversy by criticizing Britain’s Labour government over Pakistani grooming gangs and endorsing Germany’s populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of federal elections in February. Despite his high-profile interventions, polls indicate that Musk’s comments are generally not well-received. A YouGov EuroTrack survey shows that 71 percent of the population in both Germany and Britain view Musk unfavorably, with only 19 percent of Germans and 18 percent of Britons holding a favorable opinion of the SpaceX and Tesla CEO.
The survey also reveals that 60 percent of respondents in both countries believe Musk lacks a sufficient understanding of their political landscapes and the key issues they face. In an interview earlier this month, a victim of grooming gangs criticized Musk, describing his remarks as unhelpful and accusing the billionaire of narcissism. Public sentiment in both Germany and Britain strongly disapproves of foreign political figures attempting to influence domestic politics. Roughly 74 percent of Germans and 76 percent of Britons reject such interventions, including those from American figures like Musk. Additionally, around 72 percent oppose European interference in U.S. political affairs.
Despite these views, Musk’s popularity appears higher among supporters of Germany’s AfD and Britain’s Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage. Nonetheless, even within these groups, many believe Musk’s influence on their national politics remains limited.
In the United Kingdom, members of the Labour Party have blocked attempts to outlaw marriage between first cousins, a practice commonly seen within the country’s Muslim community. Conservative MP Richard Holden reported that Labour obstructed further consideration of the bill to ban cousin marriage on Friday, January 17. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Holden stated that Labour blocked the legislation before it could reach the committee stage, and he anticipates the governing party will continue to block similar legislation in the future.
Holden expressed gratitude to members of communities where cousin marriage is prevalent who supported him, attributing the persistence of the practice to elements of the establishment’s fear of causing offense or losing votes. Cousin marriage is particularly prevalent within the Pakistani community in Britain, with the BBC acknowledging that up to 46 percent of newborns to Pakistani parents in Bradford come from first cousin marriages.
Last month, Iqbal Mohamed, MP for Dewsbury and Batley in Yorkshire, defended cousin marriage in the House of Commons, arguing that the practice helps strengthen family bonds. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has downplayed the risks associated with cousin marriages, despite the known health issues linked to relatives having children together. The NHS trust covering Bradford claimed that cousin marriages are no more dangerous than White British women giving birth over the age of 34.
However, cousin marriage appears significantly more hazardous, as children born to such couples in Bradford account for around 30 percent of birth defects, even though Pakistanis only represent about a quarter of the city’s population. Cousin marriage is also linked to lower IQ levels and higher rates of mood disorders and psychoses.
In another development, UK intelligence agencies have expressed concerns over China’s proposal to construct a massive new embassy in London, as the proposed site is near critical communications infrastructure. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government, however, seems to be pushing for the embassy’s approval. China plans to transform the former Royal Mint building in Tower Hamlets into Europe’s largest embassy. The site’s proximity to key communication cables has raised potential security threat fears from MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency.
The Metropolitan Police and local residents have also voiced concerns about the project. Counterterrorism officials worry that the embassy could become a focal point for protests, potentially diverting resources from other essential operations. Despite these apprehensions, Labour Party cabinet ministers support the proposal. Tower Hamlets Council initially rejected the plan in 2022, but Beijing resubmitted the proposal without significant changes, and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is set to make a final decision in October.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have pressured Tower Hamlets’ Planning Inspectorate to approve the embassy. The Metropolitan Police have also withdrawn their initial objections. The debate over the embassy has intensified following visits to China by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Lammy, along with other senior Labour Party officials, has been a long-time critic of President-elect Donald Trump, once describing him as a “neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath.” Lammy’s support for the new embassy came after his recent visit to China, where he and Home Secretary Cooper argued that the project would strengthen diplomatic ties with the communist state.