Rep. Nick LaLota and several Republican colleagues from New York have written to Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to say that the suburbs shouldn’t have to cope with the influx of immigrants into New York City.
“Far-left New York City officials enacted sanctuary city policies, blocking local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law. Predictably, New York City has attracted tens of thousands of unvetted migrants— legal and illegal, adult and minor,” said LaLota, a member of the Homeland Security Committee. “Fairness requires that those New York City officials, not suburban and rural counties who have rejected sanctuary city policies, incur the financial, public safety and education costs with the predictable result of their failed policy choice. Like my father taught me as a child: ‘You break it, you bought it’.”
In addition to LaLota, who represents Huntington, other members of Congress who signed the letter are: Reps. Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Claudia Tenney (NY-22), and Nick Langworthy (NY-23).
The letter also says
While New York City officials have chosen to embrace sanctuary city policies,
suburban officials like the ones in our districts have not. As such, suburban counties like the
ones we represent must not be forced to incur the financial and public safety burden caused by the policy choices of New York City Officials. You broke it, you pay for it.When there are no consequences to breaking or manipulating immigration laws, you get the
migrant crisis you see in today’s New York City. This will continue until you and the Biden
Administration make it clear there will be consequences at the federal, state, and local levels for illegally entering into the United States. We must be a nation of laws.
The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service defines the term “sanctuary cities” as
“A sanctuary city is a community with a policy, written or unwritten, that discourages local law enforcement from reporting the immigration status of individuals unless it involves investigation of a serious crime.”
Some police departments or municipalities around the country decline to ask people their immigration status, believing that that would keep migrants from cooperating with them or from reporting crimes. Other jurisdictions disagree.
Meanwhile, Hochul has been meeting with federal officials this week, urging a speedup of work permits for the thousands of asylum seekers who have come to New York City in recent months. Adams has also proposed that migrants be housed on some state properties in the suburbs.
Text of the LaLota Letter
We write today in response to disturbing reporting indicating New York City has requested
migrants, legal and illegal, adult and minor, be housed at nearly two dozen state owned facilities, including military bases, State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, and vacant prisons.We strongly oppose the use of state owned facilities to house migrants who have been left on the streets due to New York City’s mishandling of the migrant crisis— a crisis it and the Biden
Administration helped create. To help get to the root of the problem, we urge you to
immediately rescind all sanctuary city policies and actively work with all levels of law
enforcement to enforce America’s immigration laws.For decades, New York City Officials, who have implemented sanctuary city laws, have
exacerbated the Biden Administration’s open-border migrant crisis. Even today, New York City
has consistently refused to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and
share citizenship status, arrest data and addresses.2 As a result— and of no surprise to any
reasonable person— more than 100,000 migrants have come to New York City seeking shelter.Prior to getting to New York, some of these migrants crossed the border illegally. Others have
crossed while making an asylum claim. Yet, according to data, more than 70% don’t actually
qualify for the asylum they claim.4 Regardless, none of the migrants have been properly vetted.Now, New York City has requested migrants be housed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National
Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, and Kings Park
Psychiatric Center in Nissequogue River State Park. Additionally, New York City has requested migrants be sheltered at State University of New York campuses and vacant prisons throughout the state.While New York City Officials have chosen to embrace sanctuary city policies,
suburban officials like the ones in our districts have not. As such, suburban counties like the
ones we represent must not be forced to incur the financial and public safety burden caused by the policy choices of New York City Officials. You broke it, you pay for it.