Putnam Follows Other Counties, Declares Migrant State Of Emergency

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne filed a State of Emergency and three Executive Orders Monday in response to New York City’s recent moves to relocate asylum seekers to Hudson Valley counties without coordination with local municipalities.

Byrne said it was prompted by Sunday's news that buses of migrants were dropped off in Dutchess County.

"The purpose of these executive orders is to give the County the ability to preserve residents’ rights, protect their well-being, and enforce county established laws and codes, in the wake of what has clearly become a disorganized, muddy operation by New York City officials," he said in a statement. "We’ve put an incredible amount of thought into this decision and considering numerous internal reports of the City’s lack of transparency and cooperation with local municipalities, we will not wait any longer to act."

The executive orders attached to the emergency declaration give the county the flexibility to re-direct county resources to enforce sanitary code, as well as directs hotels, motels and those with temporary residency permits not to accept migrants and asylum seekers from NYC — essentially transforming them into homeless shelters — absent a shared services agreement with Putnam County, he said.

The third executive order declares Putnam a "rule of law" county. This is an important distinction as a practical matter as many municipalities with a "sanctuary" designation for dealing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have also taken on the role and responsibility of housing asylum seekers while Putnam County has not, Byrne said.

The “rule of law” county designation recommits the county’s law enforcement relationship with federal immigration enforcement agencies in addition to its support of the U.S. Constitution, state Constitution, County Charter, and other laws. The emergency declaration and its corresponding executive orders, if not extended, sunset after 30 days.

Last week, Byrne sent a letter to all hotels, motels, and temporary residencies in Putnam County asking for their cooperation and transparency in communicating if they have received an inquiry from New York City officials or their representatives regarding rooms for migrants.

Byrne blamed the Biden administration.

"The President’s refusal to take ownership of this crisis and take corrective actions to secure our nation’s southern border and fix the asylum-seeking process leaves New York City and its surrounding communities in a mess."

He said the city's plans could create hardship for communities in the Hudson Valley and further upstate.

The declaration followed calls with Putnam County’s mayors and supervisors, communications with New York City Mayor Adams, including a letter sent on May 11, and direct communication with Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security Jackie Bray.

Over the past several weeks, Putnam County officials have also been in communication with their neighboring counties of Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Westchester about plans moving forward, as part of an effort to foster transparency in the face of a lack of transparency from NYC and the federal government, Byrne said.

More than a dozen other municipalities have enacted similar emergency orders including Broome, Chemung, Cortland, Genesee, Greene, Herkimer, Oneida, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Schuyler, and Tioga counties, in addition to the Town of Riverhead, Long Island and the Town of Fishkill in Dutchess County, according to Rockland County officials.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer has not issued emergency declarations. He said the county would work to support municipalities with security and humanitarian needs other than the housing, meals and services provided by New York City.

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