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Rockland County declares state of emergency over migrant crisis
The Rockland County executive made the declaration after learning that hundreds of migrants seeking asylum will be bused to the area.
NEW CITY, N.Y. - The migrant crisis is overwhelming New York City so much that Mayor Eric Adams has decided to take his sanctuary city and expand north, but officials there say they’ll do everything they can to block those efforts.
"I will fight tooth and nail with every potential power I can muster up to stop this for the people of Rockland County," County Executive Ed Day tells FOX 5.
Day declared a state of emergency in Rockland County Saturday after hearing that hundreds of asylum seekers will arrive in Rockland as soon as Sunday.
RELATED: Former Police Academy in NYC converts into shelter for new asylum seekers
"We don’t know who these folks are, and you know something, Mayor Adams was the one who declared himself a sanctuary city. Well, we never declared ourselves a sanctuary county," Day says. "We just can’t handle it."
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NYC migrant crisis: More buses of asylum seekers arrive from Texas
New York City received its first buses of asylum seekers in months just days after learning that Texas Governor Greg Abbott would resume sending migrants to Democratic-led cities. More buses are expected to arrive next week when a COVID-era border policy known as Title 42 is set to expire.
The city says they’ve made a deal with the owner of the Armoni Inn and Suites in Orangeburg to house adult male migrants for up to four months. A total of 300 migrants will be placed between Rockland and Orange counties.
People who’ve lived in the area for decades say the concern is these migrants will integrate into their community and live among their residents with no background checks. They say they fear for their safety.
RELATED: NYC bracing for surge of asylum seekers as Mayor Adams pleads for federal assistance
Adams released the following statement in response to the controversy:
"This new, voluntary program will provide asylum seekers with temporary housing, access to services, and connections to local communities as they build a stable life in New York State."
But there is still a call for more transparency when it comes to the livelihoods of those who call Rockland home.
Adams’ office tells FOX 5 that the city is footing the bill for the asylum seekers, including meals and laundry for all four months. The mayor’s office says out of the 60,000 migrants who have entered New York City, one quarter of 1% are going north.