MONTGOMERY, NY — New York State Assemblyman and candidate for New York’s 18th Congressional District, Colin Schmitt (R-New Windsor), released the following statement amid reports that in the past week e secret migrant flights landed at the Orange County Airlport in Montgomery, New York transporting migrants detained at the US-Mexico border. The flights were commissioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Just a few weeks ago, Assemblyman Schmitt joined with Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) to tour the US-Mexico border in El Paso, TX. During the tour, Assemblyman Schmitt focused on the national security and humanitarian issues ongoing at the border that impacts the Hudson Valley due to the ongoing fentanyl crisis and the migrant flights being flown into Stewart International Airport and Westchester County Airport, and now, Orange County Airport. Schmitt’s trip was privately funded, with no tax dollars utilized.
“The secret migrant flights, often in the dead of night, are both fundamentally wrong and causing a humanitarian crisis. In an effort to conceal these migrant flights from the public and local officials, the Biden Administration has rerouted them to Orange County Airport in Montgomery, NY, in the heart of our community. This type of secrecy by the federal government, as well as the policy itself, is entirely unacceptable, said Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, “These flights are a public safety risk and cause an extremely untenable situation for our local law enforcement. No local governments or law enforcement agencies had been notified of these flights. No medical alerts or screenings were provided for possible health impacts. It also appears the dozens of unaccompanied minors involved in this relocation were not adequately fed on their journey and may have been lacking basic personal care supplies.”
Schmitt concluded, “My opponent, Pat Ryan, has said absolutely nothing about these flights and just wants to pretend it is not happening. His record in Washington for the Hudson Valley is overseeing the transformation of the local Orange County Airport in Montgomery into a federal migrant relocation hub. He is responsible for the crisis at the border through his open-border policies, such as making Ulster County a sanctuary county — a pull factor that is bringing record numbers of illegal migrants to break our laws and illegally enter our country has given cover to human traffickers and fueled the fentanyl crisis that is the leading cause of death for 18 to 45-year-olds in America. As a member of Congress, I will not allow this humanitarian and national security crisis to continue.”
The new NY-18 congressional district encompasses all of Orange County and parts of Dutchess and Ulster counties. Colin Schmitt is committed to public service. Colin is a Sergeant in the Army National Guard and Assemblyman for the 99th NYS Assembly District which includes parts of Orange and Rockland counties. Colin and his wife, Nikki, live in the Town of New Windsor with their rescue dog Quincy. On April 6, 2021, Colin announced his campaign for New York’s 18th Congressional District. As a lifelong Hudson Valley resident, Colin will stand up for local families and their values in the U.S. House of Representatives by fighting for lower taxes and more jobs and defending the region’s wonderful quality of life. To learn more visit ColinSchmitt.com.
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