May 18, 2023
From Senator Borrello: “I sent a letter to Gov. Hochul today opposing her plan to house undocumented immigrants at SUNY Fredonia in Chautauqua County and SUNY campuses around the state. This is a reckless idea born out of desperation caused by a self-created crisis of the Governor’s own making. Words have consequences. If you are going to tout New York as a ‘sanctuary state’ and safe-haven for undocumented, un-vetted economic migrants, don’t be surprised or confused when they show up on your doorstep.
“I don’t believe her when the Governor says housing migrants at SUNY campuses is a temporary solution. Migrants processed into the U.S. as asylum seekers earlier this week were given immigration court dates more than a decade away. Once these migrants are brought to SUNY campuses, neither the Governor nor anyone else knows how long they will be there.
“Upstate communities that have never declared themselves as sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants should not be forced to accept these migrants. It is going to take enormous resources to care for these migrants, resources our rural communities do not have. These are not ‘sanctuary communities’ and they had no part in creating this crisis. They shouldn’t be punished now for Albany and Washington’s lack of foresight and planning.
“Due to the Biden Administration’s unwillingness to control the border, these migrants are not properly vetted or investigated. Essentially, we don’t know who they are. Because of that they pose a significant risk to public safety.
“This immigration crisis has been in the making since the majority adopted New York’s 2020 Green Light Law granting non-citizen, undocumented migrants the ability to get a driver’s license. The Green Light Law bars federal authorities from accessing New York’s motor vehicle database to enforce U.S. immigration policies and laws. Along with the 2017 Executive Order signed by former Governor Cuomo barring law enforcement or state agencies from inquiring about a person’s immigration status, state officials have made New York the perfect place for undocumented immigrants to settle and avoid deportation.
“To end this crisis, New York City and New York State need to rescind their sanctuary status and policies. President Biden needs to implement commonsense and compassionate border security and immigration reforms to secure our border and protect both U.S. citizens and immigrants.”
From Senator Tom O’Mara: “If you don’t think the migrant crisis could be headed our way across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, it’s time to take off the blindfolds. Governor Kathy Hochul and her Democrat, New York City allies in the Legislature appear ready and willing to once again override local control in a crisis and begin shipping these illegal migrants all over the state. Right now it’s the only plan on their table, besides setting aside a billion dollars and counting in state funding, to help New York City survive a crisis they have no idea how to handle. Our Republican conference believes that localities must have the ability to say no and that the state cannot displace homeless veterans, families of domestic violence, or other vulnerable populations from their current places of shelter just to make room for an influx of migrants being bused out of New York City.”
From GOP State Senate Leader Robert Ort: “New York City and New York State declared themselves a sanctuary, and now that it is creating a problem, they are pushing that problem to other communities with no transparency, no communication, and no resources. The lack of leadership on this issue has been shameful – the public deserves answers, municipalities deserve the right to make decisions in the best interests of their communities, and our most vulnerable populations – including our veterans – deserve to be assured that they will not be displaced in order to house migrants.”
