Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is calling on Majority lawmakers to work with Washington, D.C. to finally put in place reasonable measures to slow down the rate of migrants being released into the country. New York City has been inundated with busses of migrants from the southern border and available options to house the migrants have run out.

“New York Majority lawmakers, whether they like the idea of it or not, need to appeal to Washington, D.C. to pump the breaks on how many migrants are being released into the country. Even considering Title 42 expulsions, waves of migrants have been coming over the border, and with the policy set to expire, New York is nowhere close to being ready to manage the influx of migrants coming in. New York City is at capacity, and the pressure is now coming to upstate counties that are not equipped to house and care for these people. It is inhumane to continue to fail to address this at the national level,” said Friend.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams blindsided Hudson Valley counties with a plan to house migrants in local hotels in Orange and Rockland counties, neither of which have the infrastructure nor staffing to house and assist these migrants properly. This triggered a number of orders to be issued by these counties and others, including Broome, Chemung, Tioga, Oneida and Rensselaer, to prevent the bussing and housing of migrants from the city to upstate counties. While the Governor questions the constitutionality of these orders, Friend rejects this assertion and believes that local authority is the only authority to determine sanctuary status.He says she has no authority to declare New York a sanctuary state.