Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has criticized the City of New York for delays in responding to her Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request regarding migrant crime data. After 1.5 years and several postponements, Malliotakis finally received the requested information, which she described as “deeply disturbing.”
According to Malliotakis, the data revealed that from January 2023 to October 2024, taxpayers funded housing for 3,219 individuals who had been arrested. These individuals were accommodated in shelters and luxury hotel rooms at a significant cost to taxpayers.
Malliotakis stated, “It is obvious why the city stonewalled and delayed response not once, not twice but three times after my initial request by letter in October 2023 and by FOIL in January 2024.” She noted that over 16,000 crimes occurred in or near migrant shelters during this period. Of these incidents, more than 11,000 involved major felonies such as murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, or grand larceny of an automobile.
The congresswoman further criticized Democratic leaders including President Joe Biden, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Eric Adams for their handling of migrant-related issues. She argued that their actions have compromised public safety and increased taxpayer burdens.
Malliotakis initially sought this information through a letter sent on October 2, 2023. The letter was addressed to then-NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and co-signed by a bipartisan group of local officials. Following a lack of response from the NYPD Commissioner’s office, Malliotakis filed a formal FOIL request on January 8, 2024.
