The Town of Newburgh filed a lawsuit against the owner of the Crossroads Hotel in Orange County Supreme Court yesterday, Town Supervisor Gil Piaquadio announced this morning.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction after hotel management converted the building to a long-term occupancy shelter at the request of New York City, with on-site food, counseling, security, and other services to be provided by New York City.
According to Piaquadio, the Crossroads Hotel has not obtained any necessary variances, approvals, and permits from the Town of Newburgh to convert the hotel into a long-term shelter. Piaquadio said that the current use violates the Town’s Zoning Code.
The lawsuit comes after a controversial move in which New York City Mayor Eric Adams promised Piaquadio that city officials would not begin bussing newly arriving immigrants to the Town of Newburgh until all concerns have been addressed. The very next day – on Thursday, May 11, 2023, New York City officials bussed the immigrants to the Town of Newburgh even though none of Piaquadio’s concerns were addressed.
“Sadly, we have learned that you cannot trust the words of New York City’s Mayor and the leadership of New York,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said.
New York City intends to house the immigrants at the Crossroads Hotel, located near Route 17K and Interstate 84, for the next four months. After their stay is up, there are no plans for what will happen with the asylum seekers. They will not be eligible for social services since they are not United States citizens, Piaquadio noted.
The Newburgh News, LLC first reported on the arrival of the migrants on Thursday (story here).
