There’s been a lot of conversation over the past week over the migrant crisis that is being pushed onto counties in the Hudson Valley by New York City. If you need a quick refresher, here’s the issue: New York City, a self-described “sanctuary city,” is unable to manage the high number of migrants that have collected within the city limits over the past year and has now taken it upon itself to ship them upstate to alleviate their migrant services’ burdens. There was no wider planning or coordination for this proposal, there was no cross-county communication to ensure such a move could be done as smoothly as possible, and there seems to be little consideration from the city with regard to the capacity the counties in the Hudson Valley can accommodate. It’s developed into a volatile issue, and the blame can be laid solely at New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ feet.

With this problem in particular, I think most people can be sympathetic to the plight of the city. Yes, they’ve had an influx of migrants the likes of which they haven’t seen since the early 20th century, so of course their internal immigration management systems are failing to meet the demand. Yes, the situation at the southern border, and the failure of the federal government to manage the rising immigration population humanely and legally, are largely contributing to this migrant issue, so they share blame with the city at this juncture. But in my opinion, much of that consideration goes to the wayside when New York City acts unilaterally and starts to literally send its problems to other areas of the state.

Upstaters have often bemoaned the favoritism this state shows to New York City; the economic and social favoritism presents itself in policy decisions made by our state government, and often state and national leadership only visit the city ignoring the rest of New York. Because of this, the city has wielded its obvious political, social and economic favoritism as a club against the rest of the state, pushing on us a policy without consultation that we have no choice but to adjust to. And yet, we’re still fighting back.

Both our Orange County and Rockland County Executives, Ed Day and Steve Neuhaus, have issued emergency declarations that block the mass migration of New York City-originating migrants. The state’s supreme court also blocked any effort to send more migrants to the Hudson Valley unilaterally. These are important moves made by competent local leadership working for the betterment of the community as a whole. This is likely not the last time you hear about this story, but believe me when I say I will fight to ensure your communities remain safe and secure no matter what city-based bullies might try to do.