During a news conference this morning at the Rockland County offices in New City, Republican Rep. Mike Lawyer urged Rockland County officials to show up this week when President Biden visits the Hudson Valley. Lawler said they need to demonstrate their opposition to a plan by New York City Mayor Eric Adams that the Biden Administration supports that would bus about 340 immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to Rockland County and house them at various locations.
A White House advisory said that on Wednesday, May 10, Biden will travel to the Hudson Valley area and New York City. The White House did not specify where in the Hudson Valley Biden would visit. It said that he will discuss why Congress must avoid default immediately and without conditions, and how the House Republican Default on America Act will cut veterans”™ health care visits, teachers and school support staffs, and Meals on Wheels for seniors. The site House said that in New York City President Biden will participate in campaign receptions.
“New York City is a sanctuary city. Rockland County is not a sanctuary county,” Lawler said. “We will not pay for the foolish policy decisions made by a city council that has been led by radical socialists.”
Lawler joined Rockland County Executive Ed Day and other elected officials from the area to express opposition to the controversial plan. Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny said that all of the immigrants would be single men and she charged that none would have been vetted for possible criminal records.
Kenny said that she talked with Mayor Adams and he failed to provide answers to many of the questions she raised and members of his administration have not been forthcoming with her about the plan.
“You are bringing upwards of 340 men into the hamlet of Orangeburg,” Kenny said. “It’s a little over three square miles with a population about 4,600 people. It’s a residential suburban community and you’re going to bring 340 single men that we don’t know if they have criminal records.”
Day complained that the Adams Administration notified New York state of its plan long before Rockland became aware of it.
“We went and did our own due diligence. That’s how we found out about the plan,” Day said. “If someone’s going to tell you, the working press, that we were informed ”“ that’s utter nonsense. We were not informed. We had to figure it out ourselves.”
