NEW YORK, NY – New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino has taken a strong stance on the issue of New York City’s sanctuary city status, calling on Mayor Adams to end the policy in the wake of overcrowded shelters and immigrants being forced to sleep on the streets.
The Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which she visited this morning for a segment on Fox and Friends First, has become a symbol of the city’s crisis.
Paladino expressed her concern over the deteriorating conditions at the hotel and the plight of the migrants who are left without proper accommodations.
“The state I saw the hotel in was horrendous, and that wasn’t even the worst it’s been,” she stated. “Migrants forced to sleep outside on the sidewalk while they wait for accommodations.”
According to the councilwoman, the situation at the Roosevelt Hotel is just one example of the city’s overwhelmed capacity to handle the influx of migrants. She emphasized that the city has reached its limit and cannot accommodate more people. Paladino argued that this crisis goes beyond the willingness to help immigrants and raises serious questions about the city’s ability to manage the situation.
“This city is at capacity, there is no more space left for them. This hotel is the epicenter of the migrant crisis and the perfect example of why NYC needs to seriously reconsider our sanctuary city status,” said Paladino. “This crisis is no longer about whether we want to help them, it is about whether we are able to.”
In her call to action, Councilwoman Paladino urged Mayor Adams to temporarily suspend the city’s sanctuary status until the federal government takes action at the Southern border to address the issue. She believes that closing the border and restoring an orderly system of immigration is essential to manage the current crisis and prevent further strain on the city’s resources.
The concept of sanctuary cities, where local authorities limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts, has been a contentious issue in the United States. Supporters argue that it fosters trust between immigrants and law enforcement, while critics contend that it hampers federal immigration enforcement and strains resources in these cities.
Councilwoman Paladino’s call for reconsidering New York City’s sanctuary status reflects the growing concerns about the capacity of the city to provide for the needs of migrants and the impact of the current immigration situation.