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New York City sues 30 counties over ‘xenophobic’ orders banning migrant relocations

Published:Wednesday | June 7, 2023 | 9:44 PM
Mohamed, a 19-year-old fleeing political persecution in the northwest African country of Mauritania, poses for a photo that obscures his face to protect his identity, outside the Crossroads Hotel, before heading into town for a work opportunity, May 22, 2023, in Newburgh, N.Y., in Orange County. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City sued nearly half the state's counties Wednesday over their attempts to keep out international migrants, the latest escalation in an ongoing battle between city officials and local leaders.

The suit, filed in state court Wednesday, accuses at least 30 New York counties of seeking to “wall off their borders” to asylum seekers through “xenophobic” executive orders that violate state and federal law.

“These counties have implemented misguided and unlawful executive orders premised on false claims that the prospect of a few hundred asylum seekers sheltered at the city's expense across multiple counties constitute an emergency and imperil public safety,” said Sylvia Hinds-Radiz, a lawyer for the city.

New York City has struggled to care for an influx of asylum seekers in recent months, converting hotels and houses of worship to shelters as Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly declared that the city had reached its limit on new arrivals.

Last month, the city began busing dozens of migrants to a handful of hotels north of the city.

The move triggered a cascade of emergency declarations by local officials, from Long Island to the Canadian border. The orders threatened criminal and financial penalties against New York City and any hotels or other businesses that aided in the relocation of migrants.

Some county officials raised fears of crime or overcrowding, while others said they couldn't afford to provide care for the migrants if the city stopped paying for the hotel rooms.

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