Clarkstown, Haverstraw ban 'migrant dropoffs' as NYC limits buses carrying asylum seekers

Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann on Friday issued an emergency executive order that bans charter bus companies from making unannounced "migrant dropoffs" anywhere in town.

Haverstraw town has issued a similar emergency executive order, and the villages of West Haverstraw and Haverstraw plan to do the same, said Town Supervisor Howard Phillips.

The orders are in response to New York City's recent action to restrict when and where buses can drop off new immigrants heading to the city from the Southern border.

Hoehmann told the USA Today Network that he envisions bus companies that are stalled from dropping off migrants in NYC will head to places like Yonkers or Rockland rather than wait. The new arrivals would then be expected to take public transit down to NYC. Or, he said, they could end up staying.

“Clarkstown will not allow (New York City) Mayor Eric Adams to potentially reroute countless numbers of migrant buses to our communities," Hoehmann said. "We do not have the resources nor the ability to process even a single busload of unannounced migrants."

Clarkstown's emergency order is effective initially for 30 days; town board action to make the order permanent is expected in January.

"I think we’d be derelict in our duty if we didn’t do something immediately," Hoehmann said.

Rockland County, as of Friday, had not taken a similar step. “The County is entirely comfortable with the law already crafted to address this issue,” Rockland County attorney Thomas Humbach said in a statement. “As county government always has, we will work with any municipality to address any illegalities in a legal matter.”

Ongoing tensions with NYC

Amy Belsher, director of Immigrants’ Rights Litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said such local emergency orders aren't addressing any "real or present 'emergency.'“ Belsher said everyone, including immigrants, has a right to travel.

Belsher added: “It’s unlawful for towns to enact barriers intended to prevent newly arrived immigrants from relocating.”

The new emergency orders are just the latest in a series of ongoing actions in Rockland related to New York City's handling of an influx of migrants, many of whom have been sent to NYC by the Texas governor.

In May, Rockland County and Orangetown officials reported that Adams planned to place young men who had recently been sent to NYC in a local hotel and provide them supports for six months. While asylum seekers can get permission to work in the U.S. within that time period, the process often takes much longer.

Rockland leaders balked at the plan and launched court action to block it.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day drew criticism when he commented that among potential asylum seekers, "we have child rapists, we have criminals."

In September, Hoehmann announced that at least 31 people, including children, were discovered crammed into a 1,500-square-foot home in Clarkstown. Hoehmann said the residents were all recent migrants from Ecuador who had crossed at the southern border.

Day and U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler speculated that Adams had some involvement; there has been no evidence found, so far. Day and Lawler, like Hoehmann, are Republicans; Adams is a Democrat.

The owner of the home was fined and the property has since been put on the market.

Clarkstown: Illegal house facing thousands of dollars in fines now up for sale for $575,000

Hoehmann pointed to a pattern of Rockland being seen as an alternative for migrants because of its proximity to NYC. If the bus operators cannot schedule a convenient dropoff in NYC, Hoehmann said, "Where are you going to drop them? We have a train stop in Nanuet, we have the extensive bus network at Palisades Mall, NYC bus service."

Phillips, a Democrat, said Friday night that the federal government, including Congress and the president, need to act. The current situation, he said, strains state and local governments that aren't equipped to handle the influx.

“These immigrants are being used as pawns in a national and international chess game which is absolutely disgraceful,” Phillips said. "The immigration process should be reformed in an expedited manner so that people can come here and do so with the ability to not only work but become a citizen."

What NYC, local orders say

Adams in the last week of the year issued an executive order that imposes arrival restrictions on buses carrying migrants. The announcement was made with the mayors of Chicago and Denver, cities that also seen an influx of migrants, often sent from the Texas governor.

In New York City, charter buses carrying migrants give at least 32 hours' notice to the city's commissioner of emergency management before arriving. They can only drop off people between 8:30 a.m. and noon and must provide the number of people who will likely need services. Violators could face class B misdemeanor charges, and Adams warned the city could impound buses.

New arrivals: NYC first moved asylum seekers upstate in May. What's happening at those hotels now?

Hoehmann’s emergency executive order will prevent charter bus companies and any chartered vehicle from making unannounced migrant drop offs at any location within Clarkstown or face penalties of $750 per person illegally dropped off.

A bus company can apply, via the Clarkstown Police Chief, five business days in advance of a planned dropoff, according to the executive order. The operator must provide the police with background checks for any passengers over age 18.

Clarkstown would limit approvals, and the dropoffs would have to be scheduled between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Any bus operator that doesn't follow the rules could have their vehicle impounded or towed with a $5,000 fee charged. The operator could also face criminal charges, according to the executive order.

"I urge all residents, if you see something, say something," Hoehmann said in a statement. "You are our eyes and ears on the ground. If you see suspicious buses, call the town immediately.”

USA Today staff writers Jeanine Santucci and Lauren Villagran contributed to this report.

Nancy Cutler covers People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her at @nancyrockland on Twitter (X), Instagram and Threads.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NYC limits on migrant buses spurs emergency order in Clarkstown NY