BROOME, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Today, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar declared a state of emergency after reports that New York City may attempt to relocate large groups of people to Upstate counties.

According to PIX 11, 60,000 asylum-seekers have arrived in New York City since last spring, and the City is struggling to deal with the surge.

Many of them bused into New York by out-of-state governors.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced last week that City officials plan to send hundreds of these asylum seekers Upstate, to hotels in both Rockland and Orange County. They began arriving in Newburgh, New York today.

Local officials are worried that New York City may attempt to send people to this area.

According to Garnar, the state of emergency was enacted due to the already limited amount of housing available in Broome County.

“Broome County already has a very limited number of places for our own residents to live, both temporarily and long-term,” said Garnar. “Our shelters and contracted hotels and motels are currently filled with individuals in need of housing. Food pantries are still trying to keep up with the need in the community following the pandemic. Human services are in high demand and our healthcare system continues to be pushed to its limit in the wake of COVID. The limited resources we have are for Broome County residents first and foremost; we do not have the capacity to take on large groups of people should they arrive in our community.”

The state of emergency prohibits municipalities outside Broome County to contract with hotels and other multiple dwellings.

You can read the whole state of emergency declaration here.

Tioga County has declared a state of emergency as well.