A large rally against the open border policies of Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and President Joe Biden took center stage in front of the state capitol in Boston.
Hundreds gathered for the May 4 morning protest, many of them veterans who underlined what local popular conservative talk radio host and rally host Jeff Kuhner called “the final betrayal.”
He was referring to an amendment that Massachusetts Democrats recently rejected, which would have mandated that homeless veterans be given priority over illegal immigrants at state shelters.
State Republicans introduced the legislation after Ms. Healey, who has converted popular recreation centers, even an airport terminal, into shelters for unvetted immigrants, announced that she was next moving the migrants into the Old Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea.
“You know why they aren’t helping veterans? Because they hate America,” said Mr. Kuhner, who referred to Ms. Healey as a “modern-day Benedict Arnold.”
He was flanked by two giant signs that called for the border to be shut down and another that read, “Close The Healey Hotels.” At many times, the crowd chanted “USA.” At other times, they chanted “Trump” in support of the former president and 2024 Presidential GOP nominee Donald Trump.
A giant sign protesting Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey's support for unvetted immigrants over veterans was one of many on display in Boston on May 4, 2024. (Alice Giordano/The Epoch Times)
Pete Kuoni, a 78-year-old Vietnam War veteran, turned out for the rally because he is disgusted at how “anti-American” the country’s government has become, he told The Epoch Times.
“These aren’t the immigrants of yesterday who had to have a sponsor, a means of support, learn to speak English, have a job, provide their own housing, and be proud Americans,” the Hanover resident said. “They are getting so much freebies, they make more than the people paying for them to be here.”
Mr. Kouni said that while unvetted immigrants get free health care, he goes without much-needed dental care because he doesn’t make enough to pay for it and doesn’t qualify for free care because he’s not on full disability.
Gianna Alberini, a 30-year-old dental assistant from Ashland, told The Epoch Times that she came to the rally because she finds it wrong that she has to go without health care because she doesn’t make enough to afford it and makes too much to get it for free, “while it’s just handed to immigrants for free.”
Miss Alberini, who was touting the sign “Help Our Vets” also came in honor of her grandfather, who was a member of the Second Infantry Division in the Korean War.
Gianna Alberini, a 30-year-old dental assistant, rallied in support of U.S. veterans at a protest against U.S. open border policies for illegal immigrants on May 4, 2024. (Alice Giordano/The Epoch Times)
A pin drop could be heard in the huge crowd as Mr. Kuhner read a heartbreaking letter by a woman, a single mother, about a homeless veteran she has been trying to help in Lawrence—a sanctuary city for unvetted immigrants.
She described the U.S. serviceman, “Paul,” as having no mental health or substance abuse problems.
She said during his life on the streets, Paul has been stabbed and robbed for the few dollars he makes collecting cans and that his one possession—a radio—has been repeatedly stolen.
In a statement he gave her to read at the rally, he described veterans like himself as “always the forgotten.”
“I gave everything I had for my country. It makes me so sad how it’s turning out,” Paul wrote.
Others to speak at the rally included Maureen Maloney, whose 23-year-old son Matthew Denice was killed by an illegal immigrant in 2011.
Mr. Denice was driving a motorcycle at the time when Nicolas Dutan Guaman, found to be living in the country illegally, ran a red light and dragged him a quarter of a mile.
The Ecuadorian was convicted of vehicular homicide, driving negligently, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without a license, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death, and failure to stop for police.
Ms. Maloney blamed her son’s death on what she called the “long game” of Democrats flooding the United States with illegal immigrants.
“It’s happening because Democrats want open borders and they want to redistribute wealth. They want to redistribute your money to the illegal aliens,” said Ms. Maloney, who, following her son’s death, founded the group Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime.
Ms. Maloney, who also serves on the Republican State Committee, criticized Ms. Healey for “ luring illegal aliens to Massachusetts with the promise of free housing, free food, free Uber rides, free medical care, [and] free education for their housing and work permits.”
“The liberal Massachusetts leadership is banking on the fact that by providing all these freebies to illegal immigrants, they will become lifelong Democratic voters,” Ms. Maloney said.
Fred Hurlburt (L) of Newbury, Mass., and Joe Sanfilippo of Gloucester, Mass., were among hundreds who attended a May 4, 2024, rally organized after Democrats shot down a bill that would have given U.S. veterans priority over immigrants at state-run shelters. (Alice Giordano/The Epoch Times)
Shari Rendall, director of State and Local Engagement of the group Federation For American Immigration Reform, and Jim Robb, vice president of Alliances and Activism at NumbersUSA, also spoke at the rally.
Both flew in from Washington to speak. They urged the crowd to become actively involved in local elections.
Many times during her speech, Ms. Rendall led the crowd in the chant, “Enough is Enough.”
Former gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl also spoke at the rally. The former Republican House member, who is now running for the Massachusetts state Senate, lost out to Ms. Healey in the general election.
“Would any of this be happening if I had been elected?” Mr. Diehl said.
“No!,” the crowd loudly shouted in response.
Conspicuously missing from the crowd was Boston’s many television stations, as pointed out by Mr. Kuhner.
“This crowd dwarves” the recent pro-Palestinian protests at the nearby college campus and past Black Lives Matter rallies, “yet where is the local media?” Mr. Kuhner said.
