Broome County hotels have been contacted for migrant relocation, the sheriff says

VESTAL (WBNG) — The Broome County Sheriff’s Office announced at least two hotels had been contacted by a New York City-based organization about the possibility of housing migrants.

The sheriff’s office said the Vestal hotels, the Quality Inn and Comfort Suites, were reached out to on May 9. That’s just two days before Broome County Executive Jason Garnar declared a State of Emergency based on the suspicion New York City would send asylum seekers upstate .

Garner’s State of Emergency, which states Broome County cannot sustain any number of migrants, includes an emergency order that prohibits outside entities from making contracts with Broome County dwellings about housing asylum seekers.

The sheriff’s office said the two hotels were asked to reserve blocks of at least 40 rooms for six to 12 months under a government rate for individuals the representatives identified as migrants. Management at both hotels declined the offers.

Yet, the sheriff’s office said a third hotel was contacted regarding a similar arrangement but due to the vague nature of the call and lack of details, the source and goal of the call was unable to be confirmed.

“Our efforts to inform local hotel and business owners and the intelligence gathered confirms that New York City’s surreptitious efforts to relocate large groups of individuals to our community had begun before County Executive Garnar’s state of emergency declaration,” Sheriff Fred Akshar said in a news release. . “The men and women of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office remain focused on the safety and security of the residents of Broome County, and we will continue making every effort to avoid and prevent unsafe situations or threats to public safety before they happen.”

The sheriff’s office said deputies visited 34 hotels in the county and delivered physical copies of Garnar’s executive order that warns of potential penalties for dwellings that are housing migrants under contracts with outside entities.

Copyright 2023 WBNG. All rights reserved.