Counties say they don’t have room for asylum seekers

Upstate New York county leaders argue they lack the capacity to accommodate the increasing number of asylum seekers, urging both state and federal authorities to address what they see as a passing-the-buck approach to the consequences of southern border immigration.

Half of the counties outside New York City, numbering 27, have initiated local emergency orders prohibiting businesses like hotels from housing migrants.

The magnitude of the issue is significant, with over 100,000 people arriving from the southern border to New York in the past year alone. Just in the last week, the influx exceeded 2,500 asylum seekers.

Many have resorted to sleeping on city streets as shelters reach their limits.