May 18, 2023 – Warsaw
Wyoming County Chairwoman Rebecca J. Ryan has issued a State of Emergency effective May 18, 2023 in an effort to prevent a public safety emergency from asylum seekers seeking refuge in Wyoming County. As the City of New York has experienced a dramatic increase in asylum seekers since the expiration of Title 42, the Mayor of the City of New York has expressed plans to bus Migrants arriving in the city to counties outside of the City of New York. This places a tremendous burden on our rural counties which lack the necessary housing infrastructure needed for these Migrants.
Western New York is now beginning to see these impacts that have been experienced downstate over the past week.
Wyoming County has strived to be a welcoming community and recognizes the contributions of lawful
migrants to the County’s development, cultural and economic growth. However, given the lack of housing
facilities within the County, the unrestricted, unlawful migration poses a grave risk to the social, health, and emergency services resources of the County.
Should New York City or other large urban centers transport large numbers of Migrants to Wyoming County, the arrival of these asylum seekers will create a social, health, and emergency services crisis, causing an increase in homelessness, and will threaten the health and public safety of County residents and those relocated Migrants. In an effort to alleviate potential impacts, the State of Emergency and subsequent local emergency orders will restrict entities who may make contracts with persons, businesses, or entities doing business within the County to transport migrants or asylum seekers to locations in the County, or to house persons at locations in the County for any length of time without the express written permission of the Chairwoman of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors.
Additionally, no hotel, motel, or owner of a multiple dwelling in Wyoming County is permitted to contract or otherwise engage in business with any other municipality other than the County of Wyoming (an “external municipality”) for the purpose of providing housing or accommodations for migrants or asylum seekers without written approval granted by the County.
The local emergency order will remain in effect for five days unless modified, extended or revoked. This order may be extended for additional periods not to exceed five days during the length of the State of Emergency.
