At least 31 people, including children, were discovered crammed into a 1,500-square-foot home in the tiny hamlet of New City in Clarkstown, local officials announced Monday. The residents were all recent migrants from Ecuador who had crossed at the southern border only recently.
The migrants were discovered following a surprise inspection at the house located at 295 New Hempstead Road.
The property is owned by Shlomo Koppel of Monsey.
Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann likened the site to a flophouse - "children residing in the garage, attic, unfinished basement, mattress upon mattress."
Photos showed cooking appliances in rooms throughout the house, including a microwave with a refrigerator balanced on top near beds; extension cords strewn about; and sheets hung up to divide rooms.
Tenants told officials more were coming, Hoehmann said, with "more than 10 illegal immigrants arriving this week." It appeared to be, the supervisor added, part of some sort of organized chain of migrant housing.
“We knew something was amiss. What we saw was so bad. This was by far the worst flophouse we’ve seen," Hoehmann said.
Officials in Rockland County took legal action to shut down the house, and a local judge approved a warrant to inspect the premises.
"We are not going to let this happen in Clarkstown," Hoehmann declared.
The town supervisor warned that the migrant crisis had spun out of control and that “it is coming to a local town near you.”
“Our investigation thus far has determined that this is an organized effort that has brought these illegal immigrants and migrants to Clarkstown. This is a national security crisis and a humanitarian crisis,” Hoehmann said.
Congressman Michael Lawyer (R-Rockland) and Rockland County Executive Ed Day blamed the migrant crisis on President Biden’s failure to secure the border and New York’s pro-sanctuary policies of taking in asylum seekers, which they described as people entering the country illegally.
During a press conference, Lawler also took a shot at New York’s most powerful Democratic lawmaker in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Chuck Schumer needs to get off his behind and do something,” Lawler said.
He also said Mayor Eric Adams should be “held accountable” if he was behind transporting the migrants to Clarkstown.
“We are still determining how these individuals arrived in Clarkstown, and whether or not they were part of a clandestine effort by Mayor Adams to subvert the will of Rockland County and prior judicial decisions,” Lawler said.
“The restraining order filed today by Supervisor Hoehmann is an important step in putting a stop to this, and we are continuing to pursue all courses of action in order to resolve this matter.”
Rockland Executive Ed Day called on state Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation into the human trafficking of migrants in New York City.
“There is no way this happens without money,” the Republican county leader said.
“This is a crisis. The southern border must be closed for a period of time until we find common sense solutions.”
Schumer recently defended his record in dealing with the migrant crisis.
“The record is very clear that I have been working at the highest levels, delivering funds for New York and am still fighting for more,” Schumer, the 72-year-old Senate majority leader from New York, said in a statement to The Post last week.
“I’ve publicly pushed the administration to accelerate and expand work authorization so that immigrants can support themselves and have repeatedly communicated this to the White House as recent as this past week,” the Democrat added.
City Hall said the Adams Administration is not involved with busing migrants to Rockland, noting that ongoing litigation prevents them from doing so.
“We had nothing to do with the asylum seekers ending up there,” an Adams spokesperson said.
The home was purchased last year by Koppel. He did not register with the mandatory landlord registry, Hoehmann said.
Hoehmann said the town had only reached Koppel that day, and he was "not forthcoming." The town was expected in state Supreme Court in Rockland County today to commence eviction procedures.
Hoehmann said Koppel had been cited for violations in the past and had ignored recent town inquiries."
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