Long Island town declares emergency to resist NYC mayor’s migrant dump.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams Faces Opposition in Attempt to House Migrants in Eastern Long Island
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been at odds with President Joe Biden over the border crisis, reportedly arranged to transport migrants to eastern Long Island, only to be met with opposition from Republicans.
Democrats in the so-called sanctuary city have previously attempted to relocate migrants to the two counties of Long Island, particularly unaccompanied minors, with Suffolk County ranking sixth in the nation in 2021 for its share of migrants.
On May 16, Riverhead Township Supervisor Yvette Aguiar declared a state of emergency after Adams reportedly requested housing facilities in Suffolk to house the migrants. Aguiar said three Riverhead facilities had agreed, but that housing migrants was a code violation. The New York City Department of Homeless Services was making agreements on the relocation of migrants to hotels and motels within the town.
Aguiar then wrote an executive order to prevent the heavy influx, stating, “It’s a federal problem, it’s a New York City problem, and don’t bring it to Suffolk County. We are not capable.”
Riverhead’s state of emergency maintains that “all hotels, motels, bed and breakfast facilities, inns, cottages, campgrounds or any other transient lodging units and/or facilities allowing short term rentals do not accept said migrants and/or asylum seekers for housing.” Violation of the order will result in a class B misdemeanor, which is punishable with minor fines and/or 90 days imprisonment.
Adams recently announced the arrival of 900 migrants in the city in one day, stating that the surge would cost over $4 billion. While appearing on Caribbean Power Jam Radio, he stated that an average of 300 to 500 migrants arrive daily.
Make The Road New York, an immigration advocacy nonprofit, said in 2023 alone, several hundred had been sent to Long Island, where they receive benefits. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone denied any talks with the city’s mayor, stating that this is a federal issue and that the county needs to treat this in a “responsible and humane way.”
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., praised Aguiar’s move on Twitter, saying, “Long Islanders shouldn’t have to bear the weight of the mess at the border created by the Biden Administration or the sanctuary city policies of NYC.”
The Suffolk Legislature announced plans to prevent migrants from entering the county, with Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey stating that he would “authorize the hiring of a special counsel to pursue all legal options available to protect the unfunded location of any asylum seekers in Suffolk County.”
