Staten Island Reporter

(STATEN ISLAND, NY) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella today released the following statement regarding New York City's handling of the migrant crisis in light of two new migrant shelters opening on Staten Island.

One shelter, which is located at the Ramada Inn on North Gannon Avenue, will house migrants in 35 units, and the other shelter located at the Staten Island Motor Lodge on Hylan Boulevard, will house migrants in 32 units. According to emails from the City, both shelters opened on May 4, 2023, and will be directly run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"Today we learned that Staten Island is getting another major influx of migrants, filling up an additional 67 units in two local hotels. As Mayor Adams has said, this crisis is unsustainable and is destroying our city. So long as the City is forced to continue spending taxpayer dollars to harbor illegal immigrants while cutting services for our own citizens in need, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It currently costs taxpayers $93,000 for each family housed in these units, which is more than many Staten Islanders make in one year. New York City's right-to-shelter policy was meant for homeless New Yorkers, not citizens of other countries coming here seeking asylum. By housing thousands of migrants under this policy, the City is abusing its original interpretation at the expense of hard-working taxpayers who never asked to carry the burden. It's past time for the City to challenge the right to shelter decree and join our calls to secure the border and stop illegal crossings."

Congresswoman Malliotakis is a cosponsor of H.R.2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, legislation that would require DHS to resume construction of the southern border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, reform the asylum process and mandate the use of E-Verify, and prohibit the release of illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border into the United States.

Original source can be found here.