A federal judge is expected to rule today on Rockland’s strategy to keep migrants from New York City out of an Orangeburg hotel, effectively turning it into a homeless shelter. A lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union claims executive orders issued by Rockland and Orange counties interfere with immigration matters covered by federal law. They also claim the migrants were targeted because of their race. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says it’s not that complicated, it’s a code violation…
Meanwhile, the Orangeburg Hotel at the center of Rockland’s case has reportedly re-opened for regular business. The license giving Armoni Inn & Suites permission to operate as hotel had expired. And the city continues to look for solutions to their migrant crisis. WABC-TV reported an unused hangar at JFK Airport is being prepped for asylum seekers. The move is waiting on FAA approval. The city has already begun bringing in cots and bathroom and shower trailers to the site, which is expected to hold up to 1,000 people. And the New York Post reported over the weekend that the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in Harlem, which was just opened up for migrants, suffered a plumbing malfunction, forcing hundreds of migrants to be temporarily evacuated. The Post said the plumbing “exploded” sometime Saturday afternoon.