A group of Hudson Valley hotel owners is suing multiple New York counties and towns in the wake of executive orders that seek to keep New York City migrants out of upstate lodging.
In a complaint filed earlier this week with the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, the hotel owners claim the executive orders "unlawfully, impermissibly, and unconstitutionally prohibit ... Plaintiffs from fulfilling their agreements" to house migrants. The suit accuses various upstate government officials of "catering to xenophobic and political interests" and exceeding their authority in retaliating against hotel owners.
They're seeking an injunction to keep counties from enforcing the migrant-related executive orders, labeling the orders unconstitutional.
"Defendants have made clear their reasons are not noble, but are unlawful and reek of discrimination," the suit reads in part.
It also references the story of migrants displacing homeless veterans that caused outrage and death threats, a story that multiple politicians referenced amid the migrant issue, which has since been shown to be a hoax.
The counties being sued are: Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Rensselaer, Herkimer, Oneida, Broome, Genesee, Orleans, Saratoga, Greene, Sullivan, Onondaga, Allegany, Chautauqua, Fulton, Madison, Niagara, Oswego, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Tioga and Wyoming. Included in the suit are towns that have issued similar executive orders.
Migrants have been arriving upstate from New York City in recent weeks, with many being housed temporarily at hotels. It quickly led to litigation from multiple counties against the city, seeking to keep the migrants out of the local hotels.
A decision as to where expanded housing for the migrants will be is expected "very soon," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.