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Cortland County has issued a State of Emergency Declaration and Emergency Order on Friday, May 12th, banning county hotels, motels, owners of multi-family dwelling or owners of real property within the county, from accepting any undocumented immigrants who may seek entry into the county after the recent expiration of Title 42.
“This is a national crisis that should not be left to New York State counties. A national plan needs to be put together, with a plan for how to house, feed, provide medical care, and so forth for these people. Cortland County, along with other New York counties, is not prepared for a flood of asylum seekers, and it is not fair to the County, or the asylum seekers, to send busloads of people with no plan of what to do with them after they arrive,” stated Cortland County Chair, Kevin Fitch, “Cortland County currently has a homelessness issue that continues to climb, as well as a housing shortage and opioid epidemic; any addition, like the possibility of having asylum seekers offloaded in Cortland County will cripple the System.”
Cortland County is currently facing a serious homelessness crisis, which continues to increase. The current capacity the county has to deal with homelessness issues is already at a maximum and the county cannot handle the additional stress of those resources.
In a press release, the county stated that sending busloads of people who seek asylum within Cortland County would create a potential public safety emergency. The orders are to maintain public safety and the well-being of Cortland County residents.
Those who violate the order by the county may face a Misdemeanor charge(s), and fines.
