POUGHKEEPSIE – Despite Dutchess County’s requests for information about the relocation of immigrants legally in New York City custody to county hotels, none has been received, not even before or after two busloads of individuals were brought to a Town of Poughkeepsie motel on Sunday.
County Executive Bill O’Neil said Monday that not even the owner of the Red Roof Plus Inn, Sam Patel, was uncooperative.
As a result, “the silence has forced Dutchess County to seek the required information through legal means.”
O’Neil said New York Mayor Eric Adams assured counties that they would be given advance notice if asylum seekers were to be sent to their communities, but that has not happened.
“New York City Mayor Eric Adams assured counties that advance notice would be provided of any arrivals – that did not happen,” the county executive said. “New York City has shown no willingness to coordinate or collaborate with Dutchess County, and New York State has been complicit in exacerbating the issue by taking no action, other than providing New York City with millions of state taxpayer dollars to shelter asylum seekers, yet requiring no coordination, communication of transparency.”
