The Biden-Harris Administration’s open southern border created more Donald Trump voters in Massachusetts than any other issue, allowing the former (and future) president to flip many communities that voted for Biden in 2020. The trend is obvious to anyone paying attention. When I wore my MAGA cap to a Boston-area Costco a few days after the election, handfuls of people eagerly ran up to me to give me a thumbs up or tell me they loved my hat; several mentioned their support for securing the border.

Bay State voters are increasingly angry and frightened as they have watched unchecked immigration burden their communities— yet Massachusetts leaders continue to ignore their own voters’ concerns.

Trump got 7% closer to victory in Massachusetts this year compared to 2020. Voters in the state say unchecked immigration at the US-Mexico border is the most important issue. It is easy to understand why. Under the Biden-Harris administration, some 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the country and at least 50,000 of them have come to Massachusetts since 2021.

Even after voters made their concerns regarding immigration clear through the election results, our leaders have simply doubled down on their increasingly unpopular left-wing immigration stances. Governor Maura Healey declared that the state would not cooperate with federal officials in enforcing existing immigration laws. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said that Boston police would also not assist with the feds in deportations.

Healey, Wu, and their ilk in the State House may believe they are insulated from the effects of Trump’s victory. After all, in decades past immigration was mostly a theoretical issue in New England — Boston is more than 2,000 miles away from the US-Mexico border. But the impacts of this crisis have started to hit home in recent years.

Just as Healey announced she will not assist in deportations, ICE arrested an illegal migrant charged with “heinous” child sex offenses in Boston. A few months earlier, another illegal immigrant was charged with brutally raping a pregnant Massachusetts woman in Peabody; he was released in 2021 after crossing into the US illegally. That same week in August, yet another illegal immigrant was arrested by ICE after allegedly raping a Massachusetts child and then being released by local authorities on a $500 bond. In just August and September of this year, ICE arrested more than 30 illegal immigrants in Massachusetts for a slew of crimes.

But illegal migrant-related issues impacting Massachusetts don’t stop with crime. Hospitals are overwhelmed and overcrowded. Many schools are similarly overwhelmed with non-English speaking migrants, and were initially “blindsided” by the influx of new students.

Housing prices in the state are through the roof, and supply shortages are made worse by the tens of thousands of “newcomers” who need a place to live.

Massachusetts has also retained its “right to shelter” law, which is the only one of its kind in the country. Since the start of Joe Biden’s border crisis, this has caused havoc in the state. The situation is projected to cost more than $1 billion during the current fiscal year.

Despite all of the liberal guilt a state like Massachusetts can muster, only less than 32% of residents say they support the right to shelter law without restrictions, according to an October poll.  A majority stated that they either oppose the law, want limits on how long it can be used, or want to keep migrants from utilizing it. Meanwhile, a plurality of 48% of Bay Staters agreed with the sentiment that migrants were “taking up affordable housing that should go to Americans first.”

It’s not just Wu and Healey who are doubling down on policies hated by the state’s working class. Sanctuary cities across the state are reaffirming their status.

All of the virtue-signaling by some of our nation’s wealthiest zip codes does little to cancel the real-world impacts of the migrant situation. Far away from Boston, West Springfield is bearing the weight of migrants who have moved in over the last several years. The number of students having to learn English in the city almost doubled since the summer of 2022, while there’s been an almost 20% increase of such students statewide. The pressure has increased West Springfield’s costs by $104 per student per day, which will likely rise. West Springfield is just one of the many school districts facing increased pressure and disruption. The travails of public school districts in working-class areas continue to fall on deaf ears among many of the state’s elites.

The issues could become far larger than those outlined above. For example, if Massachusetts stands out as one of the few states to not only tolerate undocumented migrants but encourage them through taxpayer subsidies, it’s only logical that the roadblocks to federal deportation efforts will likely mean that many illegal immigrants from across the country will prioritize coming here. What will happen if the current number doubles or triples in coming years?

Make no mistake that the decision of liberal state and city officials will negatively impact our state. It will also push more voters into the Republican Party. Working-class people, and likely larger numbers of Latino citizens, will rightly recognize the higher prices, worse educational outcomes, and spiking crime associated with the state tacitly welcoming more illegal  immigrants. There are many reasons why Trump increased his support in Massachusetts and nationwide, but frustrations over the economy and the effects of the migrant crisis mean that many residents are increasingly bold in their support. Imagine wearing a MAGA hat in an upper-middle class area in Taxachusetts during Trump’s first term? The electoral ground has already shifted.

A Republican presidential nominee isn’t likely to win Massachusetts in 2028, but don’t be surprised if one pulls off an upset for the governor’s mansion in 2026.

Kristin Tate is a political columnist and author based in Massachusetts. Her latest book is “The Liberal Invasion of Red State America.” Follow her on X @KristinBTate.