“People have the right to express their view…but not to drive across your point of view to make people have a sense of fear …we are trying to address the reality of things that are actually happening on the ground .”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer
By Dan Murphy
On Aug. 28, County Executive George Latimer held a press conference to update residents on the 400 migrants currently living at three Westchester locations, (Ardsley, White Plains and Yonkers) in motels-hotels, and to point to the facts that no crimes have been committed at either location; that the cost of the migrants are being entirely paid by New York City, and not the taxpayers of Westchester; and that the migrants are here legally awaiting a decision on their asylum applications.
Latimer said that a majority of the 400 migrants in Westchester are adults, but 125 are under the age of 18, and those individuals are eligible to attend school in each of the 3 communities they currently reside. NY Attorney General Letita James and Education Commissioner Betty Rosa issued a statement affirming that every student between the ages of 5 and 21 has the right to a free public education in New York, regardless of the student’s nationality or immigration status. “The law is clear: every New Yorker is entitled to a free public education, and anyone who lives in our state is a New Yorker,” said Attorney General James.
Latimer added that Westhab is contracted with NYC to assist migrants at the Ramada Inn on Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers, and that DocGo has been contracted by NYC to assistant migrants in Ardsley Acres Hotel and the White Plains. Several complaints have been made about the food service to migrants by DocGo.
Latimer underscored three points in his video press conference.
I- “There have been no crimes committed in the locations where there are migrants.
II- “There have been no issues of outbreaks of communicable disease. Each of the migrants has been examined for vaccination status.
III- The cost for the migrants. “The room and food are contracted with NYC, and with these three hotel-motels. It is a legal transaction.” Westchester County has had no direct costs for the migrants. Some costs in the Westchester Department of Health and the County police have been absorbed –“there are no additional costs.”Although Westchester County government does have direct responsibility for the homeless population, and thus the migrants, Latimer added, “there is nothing that we can do. I have asked for the Federal Government to open an immigration court in White Plains, but they haven’t acted yet. I hope they do.”
We are just trying to manage the matter the best that we can.Latimer also reiterated a point that has also been made by Westchester Congressman Jamaal Bowman. That the migrants are now here legally. “Those individuals who cross the border into the US go to immigration officials and ask for asylum. Once they file, they are awaiting adjudication -they are here legally. They are not illegals.”
Latimer also challenged the decision by other neighboring county governments to issue executive orders banning Migrants from their county. “Some of my colleagues issued executive orders and many of you applauded it. They have no effect. In Dutchess and Orange Counties, they have had migrant placements anyway, and the courts have ruled against them.”
However, in Putnam County, County Executive Kevin Byrne explained that “On July 26th, the lawsuit from the city of New York against Putnam County was dismissed in its entirety after our emergency action expired and was formally rescinded. All of Putnam County’s actions, including the passage of a local law pertaining to outside municipalities and homeless shelters which also took effect on July 26th, are Constitutional and consistent with Putnam County’s authority granted to it by Municipal Home Rule Law, allowing it to adopt and amend local laws related to the government, protection, order, conduct, safety, health and well-being of persons or property therein.”
The Putnam County law requires “No municipality outside of Putnam County, or agent thereof, may offer or provide temporary housing within Putnam County, thereby creating a homeless shelter as defined above, without first entering into a shared services agreement with Putnam County to provide said service”
Latimer sought to get the truth out about the Westchester migrant population, and to dispel the rumors “People have the right to express their view…but not to drive across your point of view to make people have a sense of fear …we are trying to address the reality of things that are actually happening on the ground.”
Latimer concluded, stating “since placements will come in the county without our knowledge, we will manage them in an intelligent way and will try to do in a humane way but protecting public safety. That is exactly what we have done.”
