A New York Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order against New York City, stopping them from sending more migrants to Orange County, said County Executive Steve Neuhaus.
The order allows the migrants that had been sent to the county since last Thursday to remain where they are, Neuhaus said, adding that more than 180 have arrived in Orange County since Thursday.
"New York City, knowing that the case was under review, tried to flood as many buses up here as possible," Neuhaus said Tuesday.
The ruling came days after a court also ruled in favor of Rockland County’s temporary restraining order against New York City.
In addition to seeking the restraining order, Orange County filed two lawsuits — one against the hotels housing the migrants for allegedly violating the county’s state of emergency order, and one against New York City for setting up, what the county claims, is a homeless shelter outside of the city’s jurisdiction.
The order also requires the city to provide information on the 186 migrants sent to Orange County. According to Neuhaus, that’s nearly triple the number New York City Mayor Eric Adams originally told him last week would be sent to the town of Newburgh.
Neuhaus said the county lacks basic personal information on the people staying at the hotels.
"There are a lot of unanswered qeuestions, but this is a major, major decision," the county executive said.
Neuhaus said the order will hold until the city provides Orange County with more information about the migrants, such as their names and ages.
“I got a phone call from the mayor's office that they are flooded with people, and they were going to send upwards of seven buses on their way up here," the Orange County Republican said. "Literally, as I'm being briefed by the county attorney and I said before you send those buses or anybody else in New York City to Orange County, you better talk to your attorney. And the guy was like, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Well, the Supreme Court just made a decision that no more can be shipped up here.’ And he was floored.”
Aaron Narraph Fernando, who is a member of the grassroots advocacy group For The Many, said the ruling is disappointing because of the lack of communication on all sides. But it is a positive that this ruling will not force the migrants already bused to Orange County to relocate again.
“A lot of the migrants have already found work," he said. "They're already getting involved in Newburgh and in the community. So it would be really terrible if they were forced out of Newburgh and had to relocate yet again,” Fernando said.
The ruling can be appealed by New York City. The city has until June 2 to respond.