WASHINGTON — Rep. Marc Molinaro wants New York state leaders to demand President Biden secure the nation’s southern borders to slow the tide of immigrants arriving in New York City and, from there, upstate New York, and called for open, public discussions about strategic relocation.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has revealed a desire to send immigrants to upstate New York because the city can no longer handle the influx. It’s a strategy that doesn’t sit well with upstate leaders.
“We need complete transparency surrounding any plan to relocate migrants from New York City to upstate New York,” Molinaro said in a statement. “Strategic relocation meetings shouldn’t be happening behind closed doors, but in public view and in coordination with community leaders and residents who will be impacted.”
Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson said he partially concurs with Molinaro on some parts of his statement.
“I do agree with Mr. Molinaro that this has to be a transparent process, but he has to know that we have our own issues up here regarding space and housing,” Johnson said. “But I absolutely agree that any strategic meetings must be open and that there has to be a plan.”
Molinaro and Republicans in New York’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Biden this week asking for information on the number of immigrants who have been moved from the southern border to the state and their whereabouts. The delegation also asked for information on any pending federal plans to relocate immigrants within New York State boundaries.
“Communities that I represent in upstate New York are already being impacted by the crisis at our southern border with illicit drugs steadily flowing in and contributing to an uptick in overdose deaths,” Molinaro said. “Instead of focusing on relocation plans, leaders in our state should be demanding that President Biden secure the border. I want to solve this problem with compassion for the communities and migrants that are impacted and stand ready to work with anyone who is honest and earnest about finding a bipartisan solution.”
Adams said on Twitter that he learned a great deal about the situation from a recent trip to El Paso, Texas.
“My team is now sitting down putting together our version of that decompression strategy,” Adams wrote.
Reaction to Adams’ statement has been critical in some quarters.
Republican state Sen. George Borello of Silver Creek in Chautauqua County, a staunch advocate of upstate rural New Yorkers, said the first step is to make changes to New York City’s immigration policies.
“If he wants a strategy to ‘decompress’ the flow of migrants, Mayor Adams should start by repealing New York City’s sanctuary city status and the governor the same with the state,” Borello said.