WASHINGTON (WBNG) -- Representative Marc Molinaro (R, NY-19) called upon the New York State Legislature to address the ongoing migrant crisis.
Specifically, Molinaro urged action on legislation to prevent New York City from moving migrants to Upstate New York and the removal of New York State’s Sanctuary State designation. A Sanctuary State is one that does not need to adhere to federal immigration enforcement. Typically, Sanctuary-status municipalities are Democratic in nature.
Molinaro, speaking on Zoom, said he supports bipartisan legislation that the House of Representatives has adopted that he said would secure the US border with Mexico and enhance the asylum-seeking process.
“Upstate communities already struggle to meet the needs of their residents,” Molinaro said. “We can’t allow what’s happening in [New York City] to happen in Upstate New York. We need a special session in Albany and action in Washington on the House-passed border security and immigration reform bill.”
Molinaro, in his news conference, quoted Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who said, according to Politico, that the migrant crisis would “destroy” New York City.
State Senator Peter Oberacker (R, 51), State Senator Tom O’Mara (R, 58) and Assemblyman Joe Angelino (R, 121) joined Molinaro in his call for a special session. They said the influx of migrants was a safety issue for local communities as well as the nation as a whole.
In May, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, a Democrat, declared a State of Emergency regarding the potential of migrants being relocated from New York City to the county. Garnar said Broome County lacked vacancies to house asylum seekers. Then, Garnar said Broome County could sustain no number of migrants.
Several other Southern Tier counties also declared State of Emergencies regarding the migrant issue in the spring.
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