BlueHub affiliate One Percent for America's connection to the migrant crisis
The company offers low-interest loans to Massachusetts migrants
BlueHub Capital, the Massachusetts based non-profit that Governor Maura Healey protected from litigation in a controversial law signed last fall is the primary sponsor for One Percent for America (OPA), another Massachusetts non-profit that has been soliciting migrants at hotel shelters across the state.
Established in 2021, OPA offers low interest loans to migrants to cover United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) fees. Their website boasts 1% interest loans that are “designed for immigrants seeking citizenship and plan to submit a paper application to the USCIS.” The loan has no credit requirements.
Tax filings for OPA list BlueHub Capital as a related organization:
Jon Fetherston, who worked for a management company overseeing a migrant hotel shelter in Marlborough, confirmed that OPA and others targeted migrants at the site. Fetherston says OPA reached out directly to migrants via mail.
“New American Lending, One Percent for America were offering loans (sic). Another company showed up unannounced at our location, talking to migrants in the parking lot. We directed them to go through our corporate office and we never saw them again.”
Tax filings for One Percent for America show Elyse Cherry as the CEO and board member. Cherry, a long-time friend and financial supporter of Maura Healey, is also the CEO of BlueHub and has been leading that company since 1997. Cherry was named one of the top 100 LGBT Executives in the World by the Financial Times.
BlueHub Capital is currently being sued by homeowners who say they were victims of predatory lending practices when they signed mortgages with the company. Those bringing suit say they were unaware of equity payouts they were required to pay BlueHub if they sold or refinanced their home. Legislation signed by Healey last fall protects BlueHub from any future litigation and was passed as a part of her economic development bill.
A call to One Percent for America was not returned.
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No one digs deeper than you.
Wonder what happens when they can't pay, and how many foreclosures has she made money on thru said scam program