Suffolk legislature unveils plan to keep NYC from sending migrants to the county
Lawmakers say they will hire a special counsel to explore legal options to block asylum seekers from moving to Suffolk.
The Suffolk legislature is revealing a plan to keep New York City from sending migrants to the county.
Lawmakers say they will hire a special counsel to explore legal options to block asylum seekers from moving to Suffolk.
Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey, a Republican, said the Legislature would introduce a motion to “authorize the hiring of a special counsel to pursue all legal options available to protect the unfunded location of any asylum seekers in Suffolk County.”
The announcement was made as New York City is attempting to find housing for thousands of migrants seeking asylum after crossing the U.S. border from Mexico.
McCaffrey said New York City Mayor Eric Adams has not asked Suffolk to take in migrants yet, but he said hiring outside counsel will help prepare the county to take action if it happens.
“We want to be able to go into court… take whatever action that we feel is necessary to protect the residents of Suffolk County,” he said. “We don't know who's coming over. This is going to be a burden not just on the local residents but it's going to be on our schools, it's going to be on our emergency services, our police.”
The Suffolk Legislature plans to draft a resolution to hire outside counsel at its general meeting on Tuesday. The meeting is open to the public.
