Thread: Relocating asylum seekers in Broome would 'absolutely break our social services syste

Relocating asylum seekers in Broome would 'absolutely break our social services system'




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Sarah Eames, Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
Fri, May 12, 2023 at 8:13 AM EDT


Broome County joined dozens of other municipalities across the state Thursday in declaring a state of emergency in anticipation of the possible arrival of hundreds of asylum seekers and migrants from New York City.

“The bottom line is that if New York City sends hundreds of people into Broome County, it will absolutely break our social services system,” Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, pointing to the existing shortage of viable housing options and support services for local residents, which he said were exacerbated by the pandemic.

Garnar said he is not aware of any current plans to bus people to the area.

“To my knowledge, no buses are coming to Broome County,” he said. “My hope is that [New York City Mayor Eric Adams] understands how coordinated we are and how serious we are about what’s happening.”

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar announces a state of emergency Thursday in response to the possible arrival of hundreds of migrants from New York City.


What Broome County's emergency order says

Included in the terms of the emergency order is a stipulation prohibiting municipalities outside Broome County from contracting with Broome County hotels, motels and other businesses to house asylum seekers.

Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar said he deployed deputies to local lodging establishments Thursday afternoon to not only explain the executive order, but to “speak specifically to the penalties” operators may face for violations.

Violations of the order, in effect for 30 days and subject to renewal, may result in fines of up to $2,000.

More: Separating fear, rhetoric from reality: What Title 42's end really means for New Yorkers

More: Chemung County 'could not sustain' influx of asylum seekers, prohibits transport, housing

More: As Title 42 ends, Oneida County closes shelter doors: 'We are not prepared for this'

Akshar pledged to “use every resource at [his] disposal” to enforce the emergency order, as well as to “avoid and prevent unsafe situations and threats to public safety before they happen.”

“If we are made aware of buses from New York City attempting to circumvent or violate this order, the Office of the Sheriff will promptly turn that bus around and send it back to where they came from,” Akshar said.

Any stops of vehicles suspected to be transporting migrants into Broome County will be executed based on probable cause and “actionable intelligence,” Akshar said.

“We won’t be proactively stopping charter buses, MTA buses, or New York City taxis,” he continued. “My number one priority is keeping the people of Broome County safe. With that said, I’m never going to go outside the four corners of the law to do that.”

New York counties meeting 'lacked a lot of very basic information'

Garnar said his office drafted the order following a virtual meeting early Thursday between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and more than 175 county officials from across the state, in which Adams warned that he may send as many as 300 people by bus to any of New York’s 62 counties at any time.

The meeting “lacked a lot of very basic information that you would expect to be given” in such circumstances, Garnar said, including the anticipated number of people, a timetable of their arrival and details of any resources that New York City may provide for their settlement, however temporary.

New York City is anticipating the arrival of approximately 3,000 migrants this week as Title 42 expires Thursday.

“Certainly we’re empathetic with that, but that way that [Adams has] gone about this – not providing any notification, not providing any plan, almost no contact with counties or municipalities,” Garnar said. “People were not happy with the presentation that was given and the whole approach that New York City is taking.”

Broome County does has contingency plans in place should asylum seekers end up in Broome County in spite of the executive order, Garnar said, pointing to the temporary shelters set up in the wake of the 2006 and 2011 floods and the field hospital readied at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can definitely marshal resources to be able to deal with that on a very short-term basis, but that certainly isn’t at all an ideal situation or solution,” he said. “We’re ready for anything. Going through two 500-year floods, you have to be.”

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: NYC asylum seekers relocation prohibited in Broome: What to know




https://www.yahoo.com/news/relocatin...121300587.html

Every damn one of these buses need to be REFUSED and bus them back to Mexico.

Taxpayers have no obligation to house and feed these foreign citizens who have breached our border!

This is an abuse of our tax dollars, abuse of the office of president, and embezzlement of tax dollars funding human trafficking across state lines!

Send them back!