Niagara Leader

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) voted in favor of H. Res. 461, a resolution condemning the use of elementary and secondary schools as housing facilities for migrants who enter the United States illegally.  

This legislation, which Tenney cosponsored, passed the House by a vote of 223-201.

Following the end of Title 42 authorities, illegal immigrants flooded into New York City, in part due to its sanctuary city status and “right to shelter” policies. However, the city failed to properly plan for this influx of immigrants, and upstate New York is paying the price for New York City’s irresponsible governance and the Biden administration's refusal to secure the border. Governor Kathy Hochul is now considering housing migrants in SUNY dormitories and other facilities throughout upstate New York. Additionally, more than 20 schools in New York City are being used as shelters for illegal immigrants.

This resolution emphasizes that reallocating taxpayer-funded schools as migrant shelters deprives students of vital resources for academic success, hinders the learning process, and poses a substantial safety hazard. Especially at a time when many students are struggling with COVID-19-related learning loss, our students should not have valuable resources taken away to cover for the Biden administration’s refusal to secure our Southern Border.

“Our schools and educational resources should be dedicated to our children, not diverted to support unvetted migrants who are entering our country illegally,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Governor Hochul should not be risking the safety of upstate New Yorkers by using our schools and educational resources to cover for the Biden administration’s negligence at the border. By passing this resolution, the House of Representatives is sending a clear message: we will not tolerate unvetted and unverified migrants taking valuable resources away from our children and communities. We must secure the border now and hold President Joe Biden accountable for his dereliction of duty.”

Read the full text of the resolution here. 

Original source can be found here.