New York Town Declares State of Emergency To Address Migrant Crisis

The town of Riverhead, New York, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday night in anticipation of a potential crisis of migrant hordes invading the idyllic community.

The declaration of the state of emergency was issued by Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar on Tuesday and followed reports that officials in the city of New York were scheming to relocate a portion of its unwanted migrant population to the small Long Island town.

“Tonight, based on information received and in response to reports that the New York City Department of Homeless Services has, or will be arranging for the transportation and relocation of undocumented migrants and/or asylum seekers to hotels or motels within the Town of Riverhead, Supervisor Aguiar declared a State of Emergency,” the declaration explains.

The crisis derives from an advisory issued by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who requested that several housing facilities in Riverhead house unwanted immigrants currently in New York City for a year. Adams offered to pay for the cost of housing these populations, and three facilities in Riverhead accepted his offer, prompting Aguiar to declare the state of emergency in order to prevent the arrival of the aliens.

“Relative to the surrounding townships on the East End and throughout Suffolk County, Riverhead has done more than its share when it comes to housing the homeless, providing services, and offering affordable housing, and our resources and taxpayers simply cannot withstand further demand on our public services,” Aguiar said in a statement.

The situation is a consequence of the challenges New York City has encountered as it tries to manage its large and growing illegal immigrant population, providing shelter for the masses of people transported to New York from states along the United States’ border with Mexico.

The city has proposed school gymnasiums as a potential solution for the question of how to house these populations. Many experts expect an impending surge of immigration due to the recent expiration of Title 42, a policy introduced during the pandemic state of emergency which allowed the U.S. federal government to expel immigrants on the basis of public health.