A day after a Rockland County judge temporarily barred an area hotel from housing migrants being sent from New York City, local officials from the county once again decried Mayor Eric Adams’ plan.

“I urge you in the strongest possible terms: stop,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “Stop what you are doing, because we will not stop fighting you.”

On Tuesday evening, state Supreme Court Judge Christie D’Alessio issued a temporary restraining order barring Armoni Inn and Suites in Orangeburg — a hamlet of Orangetown in Rockland County — from housing any migrants.


What You Need To Know

  • A day after a Rockland County judge temporarily barred an area hotel from housing migrants being sent from New York City, local officials from the county once again decried Mayor Eric Adams’ plan

  • Adams on Friday announced a plan to send hundreds of asylum seekers to two hotels north of the city for up to four months as the five boroughs try to cope with a surge of arrivals

  • But on Tuesday evening, state Supreme Court Judge Christie D’Alessio issued a temporary restraining order barring Armoni Inn and Suites in Orangeburg — a hamlet of Orangetown in Rockland County — from housing any migrants

The Town of Orangetown filed the suit, asserting that the hotel would be in violation of local laws if it chose to house “non-transient guests.”

Over the weekend, Day declared a local state of emergency in response to the Adams administration’s plan. Under the state of emergency, hotels and motels like the Armoni Inn and Suites are prohibited from housing migrants without a permit.

Hotels and motels that violate the state of emergency would be fined $2,000 per day per migrant. A hearing centered around a preliminary injunction Orangetown is seeking is scheduled for next Monday, May 15, a court filing shows.

Adams on Friday announced a plan to send hundreds of asylum seekers to two hotels north of the city for up to four months as the five boroughs try to cope with a surge of arrivals.

Day, however, said their communities’ services are “already at a breaking point” due to “natural migration.”

In response to the temporary restraining order, Adams’ press secretary, Fabien Levy, issued a statement Wednesday criticizing the upstate officials.

“We need the federal government to step up, but until they do, we need other elected officials around the state and country to do their part,” Levy said. “Sadly, the Rockland County executive has already shown he is incapable of managing less than ¼ of 1% of the asylum seekers who have come to New York City, even with New York paying for shelter, food, and services, and all this temporary order shows is that he is incapable of demonstrating a shred of the humane and compassionate care New York City has shown over the past year.”

“We will allow the hotel to decide how to move forward in Rockland County, but our plan is still to move a small number of asylum seekers to Orange County tomorrow, barring any security issues,” he added.

As of Wednesday, more than 61,000 asylum seekers had arrived in New York City, Levy said, more than 37,000 of whom are currently in the city’s care.

Title 42, a federal pandemic-era immigration restriction, is set to expire on Thursday, potentially further straining the city’s resources and shelter system.