Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have been investigating the environmental impact of the White House’s decision to house unlawful migrants on public land in New York.
This investigation is being led by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and will evaluate the environmental concerns of sheltering unlawful migrants at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Floyd Bennett Field in New York, according to Fox News.
Earlier this week, the two congressmen sent a new set of questions and document requests to White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairwoman Brenda Mallory.
This investigation began following a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior to lease portions of the property to help house unlawful migrants who arrived in New York City.
The decision from the Department of the Interior was criticized by the committee, which believed that the agreement was a “rushed lease process.”
“All national parks, whether in rural or urban areas, exist for visitors to experience wonder, to recreate and find joy, or to simply learn more about the great history of our nation. However, national parks are not a place to house people, temporarily or permanently, who lack shelter,” stated a letter from the committee sent to Mallory.
“The Governor of New York has gone on the record about the DOI’s initial reluctance to accommodate the request for migrant housing on Floyd Bennett Field due to statutory restraints.”
The letter continues by requesting Mallory to provide the committee with multiple documents and communications relating to the lease process; however, Mallory ignored these requests.
This lack of acknowledgment from the chairwoman drew more criticism from Gosar and Westerman, who raised concerns that Mallory’s decision to ignore the letter “suggests that CEQ is deliberately engaging in obstruction to frustrate the oversight power of Congress.”
“The American public deserves transparency, and the Committee will use every tool at its disposal to administer effective oversight and fulfill the Committee’s responsibility to the American people.”
This investigation is occurring amid an ongoing crisis at the southern border, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection reporting unprecedented numbers of unlawful migrants crossing into the country, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Texas officials have taken multiple steps to manage the crisis, including a decision from Gov. Greg Abbott to transport unlawful migrants to sanctuary cities across the country.
New York City, a self-described sanctuary city, recently announced that it has filed a lawsuit against 17 Texas busing companies that have helped facilitate the transportation of these people.
City lawmakers have come under scrutiny due to many of the decisions made in recent weeks, such as having a New York City High School operate remotely for a day to house nearly 2,000 unlawful migrants on the campus, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
All of the 1,900 unlawful migrants who were transferred to James Madison High School on Tuesday night were previously housed at Floyd Bennett Field and moved to the school in preparation for an incoming winter storm.
