New York City has filed a lawsuit accusing over 30 counties of violating state law by moving to block the city from relocating hundreds of migrants.
The lawsuit filed in state supreme court in Manhattan says the counties, which includes Chautauqua County, are interfering with the city’s right to contract with hotels located elsewhere in the state to temporarily house migrants.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “This lawsuit aims to put an end to this xenophobic bigotry and ensure our state acts as one as we work together to manage this humanitarian crisis fairly and humanely, as we have done from the beginning and as we will continue to do.”
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel issued a statement about the lawsuit, saying, “The County is aware of a recent lawsuit filed by the City of New York, and we will be unable to comment on pending litigation. Chautauqua County objects in the strongest possible way to the defamatory comments that the actions taken by the County are xenophobic bigotry.”
New York City declared a state of emergency in response to the tens of thousands of migrants bused to the city since last year from states along the U.S. southern border in a political dispute over border security.
Last month, the city said it was receiving 500 migrants per day and expected that number to increase. The City then announced that it would move some migrants to other parts of New York.
Last month, Wendel declared a state of emergency and issued an emergency order prohibiting not only municipalities from bringing and housing people in the County, but also, hotels and motels from housing immigrants without a license, and requiring any municipalities that might bring migrating or asylum-seeking people into Chautauqua County to ensure they will be fully cared for and paid for.
He said in a statement that the declaration was made out of concerns that the county didn’t have the services or the ability to provide additional assistance.
On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked suburban Rockland and Orange counties from enforcing bans on migrant housing. The judge said the bans illegally discriminate against migrants and violate their rights to travel freely within the state.
New York City’s lawsuit is seeking to strike down executive orders issued by the counties and bar them from being enforced.
The suit was announced the same day that Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that FEMA will provide $104.6 million in funding to help the city care for migrants.
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