By Michael V. Cusenza
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) and Assemblywoman Jaime Williams (D-Brooklyn) on Tuesday led more than three-dozen elected officials, civic leaders, taxpayers, and concerned residents in filing an injunction at the Richmond County Supreme Court seeking to halt the establishment of a migrant base camp at Floyd Bennett Field.
“Today’s injunction sends a clear message to all those seeking to turn Floyd Bennett Field into a migrant base camp: we will not sit idly by and allow you to destroy our city. We will fight,” Ariola said. “New York City has had more than its fair share from this migrant crisis. More than 100,000 people have passed through this city in the last year alone, and unless something is done, another 100,000 are sure to follow. It’s time for our government to close the border and end this crisis. Until then, we will make it clear that our national parkland is not to be used as a shelter space.”
The court has set Oct. 3 as the date for the injunction hearing.
Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Ariola
“Today’s injunction sends a clear message to all those seeking to turn Floyd Bennett Field into a migrant base camp: we will not sit idly by and allow you to destroy our city. We will fight,” Councilwoman Ariola (second from l.) said.
Mayor Eric Adams on Friday announced that the City had entered into a lease agreement with the federal government that allows the City to use Floyd Bennett Field as an emergency shelter site.
“But let’s be clear: If the federal government were to issue an emergency declaration, additional federal space and funding would become available to better manage this crisis,” Adams said. “Further, as I have said before, because we haven’t seen meaningful policy changes that would alter the course of this crisis, we’ve been forced to unsustainably open new site after new site as asylum seekers continue to arrive by the thousands. This is not an adequate solution or any sort of long-term plan by the federal government to this national problem.”
The bipartisan coalition is also planning to file an injunction at the federal level as well.
“The placement of a migrant camp on national park land is completely illegal, and I look forward to our day in court so we can make this clear,” Ariola added.
