Staten Island BP
  • Home
  • BP Office
  • News
  • Community Events
  • Social
  • Contact
  • Home
  • BP Office
  • News
  • Community Events
  • Social
  • Contact

NEWS

Borough President Vito Fossella: House Migrants On National Mall

8/15/2023

 
Picture
Borough President Vito Fossella called on the New York State congressional delegation to introduce legislation to build a tent city on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in answer to a proposal to site a migrant shelter at historic Fort Wadsworth.

“We will be asking our congressional delegation from New York to introduce legislation to mandate and compel the federal government to put and build tents on the National Mall before any other federal property is used to accommodate migrants,” said Borough President Fossella during a 
press conference outside of Fort Wadsworth. “We think that crystalizes the issue as a federal one. The federal government should solve it before forcing the people of Staten Island and others to solve a problem that they didn't create."

He recalled a recent press conference at the same site to introduce the Blue Star Families, an organization which provides resources to military families and runs a pantry at Fort Wadsworth for the active service members who live there.

“The reason why they have to have that food pantry is because many of the military personnel, especially those with young families, can’t afford to feed their families or can’t afford to put diapers on their children,” Borough President Fossella said. “So, we came together as a community to let people know that if you wanted to donate, you could do so. And here we are months later and there’s a contemplation here to spend millions or billions on accommodating asylum-seekers. There’s something brutally bad about that. It’s a problem about establishing priorities -- we’re not willing to give military families a few bucks to clothe or feed their kids, but without hesitation, we are contemplating putting who knows how many asylum-seekers on the grounds of Fort Wadsworth.”

While Borough President Fossella said he was sympathetic to those who want to live a better life, he called it financially unsustainable with a cost that will continue to grow.

“The borders are wide open and people were coming in through Texas,” he said. “They ended up in Travis, they ended up in Tompkinsville, their ending up in Midland Beach -- and we’re fighting that, too. And now they might end up in this beautiful neighborhood."

Comments are closed.

    Search

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022

    Media Inquiries

    Please contact the Department of Communications:

    ​
    Nicholas Thompson: [email protected]
    718-816- 2115

    Stephanie Slepian:
    [email protected]
    ​718-816-2136





    borough board
Office of Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella  •  10 Richmond Terrace  •  Staten Island, NY 10301  •  718-816-2000
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT