U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

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DESTROYING AMERICA’S BEST IDEA: 

BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS, 

DESECRATING NATIONAL PARK LANDS 

AND DAMAGING COMMUNITIES 

OVERSIGHT HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND 

INVESTIGATIONS 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

Thursday, June 13, 2024 

Serial No. 118–130 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Natural Resources 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov 

or 

Committee address: http://naturalresources.house.gov 
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 

BRUCE WESTERMAN, AR, Chairman 

DOUG LAMBORN, CO, Vice Chairman 

RAU ́ L M. GRIJALVA, AZ, Ranking Member 

Doug Lamborn, CO 

Robert J. Wittman, VA 

Tom McClintock, CA 

Paul Gosar, AZ 

Garret Graves, LA 

Aumua Amata C. Radewagen, AS 

Doug LaMalfa, CA 

Daniel Webster, FL 

Jenniffer Gonza ́lez-Colo ́n, PR 

Russ Fulcher, ID 

Pete Stauber, MN 

John R. Curtis, UT 

Tom Tiffany, WI 

Jerry Carl, AL 

Matt Rosendale, MT 

Lauren Boebert, CO 

Cliff Bentz, OR 

Jen Kiggans, VA 

Jim Moylan, GU 

Wesley P. Hunt, TX 

Mike Collins, GA 

Anna Paulina Luna, FL 

John Duarte, CA 

Harriet M. Hageman, WY 

Grace F. Napolitano, CA 

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, CNMI 

Jared Huffman, CA 

Ruben Gallego, AZ 

Joe Neguse, CO 

Mike Levin, CA 

Katie Porter, CA 

Teresa Leger Ferna ́ndez, NM 

Melanie A. Stansbury, NM 

Mary Sattler Peltola, AK 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NY 

Kevin Mullin, CA 

Val T. Hoyle, OR 

Sydney Kamlager-Dove, CA 

Seth Magaziner, RI 

Nydia M. Vela ́zquez, NY 

Ed Case, HI 

Debbie Dingell, MI 

Susie Lee, NV 

Vivian Moeglein, Staff Director 

Tom Connally, Chief Counsel 

Lora Snyder, Democratic Staff Director 

http://naturalresources.house.gov 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS 

PAUL GOSAR, AZ, Chairman 

MIKE COLLINS, GA, Vice Chair 

MELANIE A. STANSBURY, NM, Ranking Member 

Matt Rosendale, MT 

Wesley P. Hunt, TX 

Mike Collins, GA 

Anna Paulina Luna, FL 

Bruce Westerman, AR, ex officio 

Ed Case, HI 

Ruben Gallego, AZ 

Susie Lee, NV 

Rau ́l M. Grijalva, AZ, ex officio 
(III) 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Hearing held on Thursday, June 13, 2024 ............................................................ 1 

Statement of Members: 

Gosar, Hon. Paul, a Representative in Congress from the State of 

Arizona ........................................................................................................... 1 

Stansbury, Hon. Melanie A., a Representative in Congress from the State 

of New Mexico ............................................................................................... 3 

Statement of Witnesses: 

Williams, Jaime, Assembly Member, 58th District, New York State 

Assembly, Brooklyn, New York ................................................................... 5 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 6 

King, Paul, President, Belle Harbor Property Owners Association, Belle 

Harbor, New York ......................................................................................... 7 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 9 

Fischer, Amy, Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights, Amnesty 

International USA, Washington, DC ........................................................... 10 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 12 

Questions submitted for the record ......................................................... 17 

Morrissey, Elizabeth, President, Madison Marine Park Homecrest Civic 

Association, Brooklyn, New York ................................................................ 20 

Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 22 

Additional Materials Submitted for the Record: 

Submissions for the Record by Representative Gosar 

State of New York, Homeland Security and Emergency Services, 

Letter to the Committee ........................................................................ 44 

New York City Emergency Management, Letter to the Committee ..... 45 

Submissions for the Record by Representative Stansbury 

Ayuda Social Services, Client Stories ...................................................... 48 

GreenLatinos, Letter to the Committee .................................................. 51 

(1) 

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON DESTROYING 

AMERICA’S BEST IDEA: 

BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS, DESECRATING 

NATIONAL PARK LANDS 

AND DAMAGING COMMUNITIES 

Thursday, June 13, 2024 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 

Committee on Natural Resources 

Washington, DC 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 11 a.m. in Room 

1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Paul Gosar 

[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Gosar, Rosendale, Hunt, Westerman; 

and Stansbury. 

Also Present: Representatives Tiffany, Kiggans, Malliotakis and 

D’Esposito. 

Dr. GOSAR. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 

will come now to order. 

Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess of 

the Subcommittee at any time. 

The Subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony on 

destroying America’s best idea: Biden’s border crisis, desecrating 

national park lands and damaging communities. 

Under Committee Rule 4(f), any oral opening statements at the 

hearing are limited to the Chairman and the Ranking Member. I, 

therefore, ask unanimous consent that all other Members’ statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted in 

accordance with Committee Rule 3(o). 

Without objection, so ordered. 

I ask unanimous consent that the following Members be allowed 

to sit and participate today in today’s hearing: the gentleman from 

Wisconsin, Mr. Tiffany; the gentlewoman from Virginia, Ms. 

Kiggans; the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Malliotakis; and 

the gentleman from New York, Mr. D’Esposito. 

Without objection, so ordered. 

I now recognize myself for an opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF THE HON. PAUL GOSAR, A REPRESENTATIVE 

IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA 

Dr. GOSAR. Good morning, everyone. I first would like to take a 

moment to say thank you to our witnesses for your travel. Thank 

you for coming before the Committee today to discuss destroying 

America’s best idea, Biden’s border crisis, desecrating national park 

lands and damaging communities. 

Last September, Chairman Westerman and I visited New York 

City in the wake of Mayor Adams, a Democrat, predicting that the 
2 

massive increase in migrants was destroying the city. After being 

denied a tour of the processing center, we visited Floyd Bennett 

Field with local elected officials, as well as representatives from the 

National Park Service. An agreement to lease the site, which sits 

on National Park Service land, had just been signed between the 

City of New York and the National Park Service. Local residents, 

local elected officials, and even law enforcement repeatedly vocalized their concerns for the wrongly reached plan to house 

thousands of migrants on one of the largest green spaces in New 

York City. 

We asked all kinds of questions about safety and security for 

both the employees and the migrants themselves. All of our 

concerns were ignored, as at this time the focus was simply on 

housing more people at any cost, no matter what rules needed to 

be bent. Here we are, 9 months later. All the problems we predicted have come to pass. Let’s quickly tick through them. Crime 

in the local area has gone up. Stress on local and park law enforcement has increased. Local citizens have experienced reduced access 

to green spaces. Even the migrant population at the camp itself is 

not safe. During a winter storm last year, the migrants had to be 

evacuated to a local high school, which caused the students to miss 

school. 

Above all, building this camp did nothing to resolve the overall 

issue of reducing the number of illegal immigrants coming to the 

New York City seeking shelter. The Biden administration’s misguided immigration policies are at the heart of these issues. Since 

the beginning of this Administration, President Biden has rolled 

back many of the policies that helped reduce the number of illegal 

aliens coming through our border and entering our cities. 

Just yesterday, suspected terrorists with ISIS ties were arrested 

by ICE in New York City and several other cities. The men were 

migrants who had crossed the southern border just last year. The 

Border Patrol has lost nearly a quarter of its workforce since 

October 2020. Twice as many agents have chosen to retire early, 

compared to the Obama and Trump administrations. One agent 

even commented that ‘‘The Administration is so bad for morale 

that I am not trying to be political, I am just speaking the facts. 

It has become political. Catch and release is demoralizing the 

agents.’’ 

In fact, the situation has gotten so bad during President Biden’s 

time in office that President Biden himself is now desperately 

attempting to reverse this course and limit asylum claims with an 

Executive Order. But this action comes a little too late and further 

supports this Committee’s conviction that housing migrants on 

national park land is neither an appropriate use of the nation’s 

most treasured places, nor does it address the Biden administration’s border crisis. 

The Committee is thoroughly investigating the Biden administration’s decision to lease Floyd Bennett Field, and has issued 

requests for document productions, held briefings, conducted interviews involving several Federal entities involving the Department 

of the Interior, National Park Service, Department of Homeland 

Security, and the Executive Office of the President. The Committee 

will continue to move forward with this investigation until the 
3 

Biden administration not only commits to a rapid demobilization 

plan for the camp at Floyd Bennett Field, but also acknowledges 

their mistakes in creating this precedent. 

America’s national parks are called our nation’s best idea. The 

National Park Service mission is to ‘‘preserve unimpaired the 

natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park 

System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and 

future generations.’’ Housing migrants at National Park Service 

lands sets a dangerous precedent that, left unchecked, could expand into either public lands and national parks, transforming the 

legacy of a park system from one of natural beauty to a pay-forplay system, prioritizing migrants over our shared national and 

cultural history. 

The Floyd Bennett Field lease expires in September. The Biden 

administration has so far remained silent about its future plans for 

the migrant camp at Floyd Bennett Field. However, I want to make 

sure we are clear about this. The lease must end, and it will in 

January. 

I am now recognizing the Ranking Member for her opening 

statement. 

STATEMENT OF THE HON. MELANIE A. STANSBURY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW 

MEXICO 

Ms. STANSBURY. All right. Good morning, everyone, and thank 

you, Mr. Chairman. I want to welcome our witnesses who have 

traveled to be here today. 

This is the sixth hearing that the House Natural Resources 

Committee has had on the topic of immigration, and it is the fourth 

meeting that we have had in this Subcommittee. I want to remind 

my colleagues that this is the Natural Resources Committee, not 

the Homeland Security Committee. 

And this is also the second hearing in a row in which the 

Republican leadership of this Committee has invited a witness who 

is an active candidate running for Congress. So, I want to just 

remind my colleagues that our taxpayer dollars are not to be used 

for political purposes or as a campaign stop for political activities. 

And in addition to that, I think it is worth noting that this 

Committee was originally scheduled for earlier in the morning, but 

was rescheduled so that Donald Trump could meet with House 

Republicans off campus for a political rally this morning. 

So, here we are, in spite of all of that, having an immigration 

hearing this morning in the House Natural Resources Committee 

under the pretense of concern about a Federal lease on public 

lands. But I guess my question is, if folks are so concerned about 

Federal leases, why did they not raise their voices when Donald 

Trump violated the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution and a 

Federal lease with the GSA so that he could use the National Post 

Office Building here on Pennsylvania Avenue to open a Trump 

Hotel and use it as a personal piggy bank during his presidency, 

as foreign governments spent millions of dollars at that hotel while 

they were meeting with him in the Oval Office with official 

business? 
4 

Furthermore, he used one of our greatest national parks for a 

Fourth of July campaign rally, even against the objections of the 

local tribes for whom it is a sacred place. 

Or what about Attorney Barr using his authority to call park 

police and National Guard troops in to take public citizens out of 

Lafayette Park, which is also a public space in front of the White 

House, after he did not want them there protesting after the death 

of George Floyd? 

Or when the Trump administration blasted through public lands 

and habitats to advance their various priorities around the development of natural resources? 

And my question is, why didn’t the leadership of this Committee 

raise their voices then? 

And also, if we are so concerned about NEPA, which I am excited 

to hear that we are suddenly concerned about NEPA, why is it that 

they demanded, as part of the flesh of the negotiation over the 

Fiscal Responsibility Act, which they are now violating during their 

budget hearings, that we undermine the fundamentals of NEPA in 

order to keep the U.S. economy from shutting down? 

So, I find it extremely ironic that we are here today in what 

appears to be more like a New York State or New York City 

Assembly meeting to talk about a park in New York, and the use 

of a small piece of an airstrip in this park for housing individuals 

who have come to this country to seek asylum. 

So, what is this hearing actually about? Is it actually about public lands? Is it about NEPA? Or is it about using this Committee 

for campaign activities to advance a political agenda during a 

campaign year and to advance political candidates? 

In fact, we tried to pass bipartisan immigration reform here in 

Congress just a few months ago. And the very gentlemen that 

these folks have been meeting with this morning told them to not 

support bipartisan immigration reform because it was a good issue 

for Donald Trump to campaign on. 

So, I just find it very rich that we are sitting here this morning 

to talk about violations of Federal leases, of which there has been 

extremely lengthy due diligence to make sure that that did not 

occur. Talking about immigration, and demonizing immigrants who 

come to one of the greatest cities in the world, who has welcomed 

immigrants with open arms for literally centuries, and a 

Committee that does not have jurisdiction to work on these issues. 

So, I look forward to the conversation. 

I do welcome our public officials for joining us today. This is the 

people’s house. This is your house. But this is not a campaign stop. 

With that, I yield back. 

Dr. GOSAR. I find it rich. I find our greatest natural resources are 

the people I am looking at, the people of this country. That is 

where we have something to do. 

I would now like to introduce our witnesses. First, we have Ms. 

Jaime Williams, Assembly Member, 59th District, New York State 

Assembly; Mr. Paul King, President, Belle Harbor Property Owners 

Association; Ms. Amy Fischer, Director of Refugee and Migrant 

Rights, Amnesty International USA; Ms. Elizabeth Morrissey, 

President, Madison Marine Park Homecrest Civic Association—say 

that three times, a tongue twister. 
5 

Let me remind the witnesses that under Committee Rules, you 

must limit your oral statements to 5 minutes, but your entire statement will appear in the hearing record. 

To begin your testimony, please press the ‘‘on’’ button so we can 

all hear you. It will stay green for the first 4 minutes, then it will 

turn yellow. When you see it red, kind of wrap it up. 

I will now recognize Ms. Williams for her 5 minutes. Thank you 

for coming back. 

STATEMENT OF JAIME WILLIAMS, ASSEMBLY MEMBER, 58TH 

DISTRICT, NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY, BROOKLYN, 

NEW YORK 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Good morning, Chairman Gosar, Ranking 

Member Melanie Stansbury, and members of the Committee. 

Thank you for inviting me here today. My name is Jaime Williams, 

and I represent the 59th Assembly District in New York State. 

Last September, without any input from the surrounding 

communities, National Park Service entered into an agreement 

with New York City to house migrants in tents at Floyd Bennett 

Field. No thought was put into how it would affect taxpaying New 

Yorkers who live and work in Marine Park, Mill Basin, Gerritsen 

Beach, Mill Island, the Rockaways, and other parts of the surrounding area. No care was given to how this would affect our 

already depleted police precinct, or how transportation would be 

affected, how the conditions of our park would be affected, what 

this would do to our local businesses with such an influx of 2,000 

people meant for residents in the surrounding areas. No one 

making those decisions cared about the answers to those questions. 

Over the last 9 months, we have seen the answers to those 

questions come to life. We see increased response time to crimes, 

overcrowded busses where fights break out amongst the migrants. 

We see people illegally selling food in our streets with babies 

strapped to their backs, young school-aged children who, instead of 

being in class, are sitting on a median or walking in and out of 

traffic selling chocolate bars. 

We see migrants begging at our doors and trying our door 

handles at all hours of the day and night. 

We have seen migrants attempting to jump in front of cars; 

illegal, unlicensed, and unregistered scooters zooming in and out of 

traffic lanes carelessly. 

We see residents unable to shop at our local stores without being 

harassed by the migrants, who are aggressively panhandling in our 

store parking lots. 

We see our schools inundated by more students who rarely show 

up to class on time, disrupting the day for the children who are 

ready to learn and who are on time. 

We have seen the conditions at our park deteriorate with 

garbage thrown everywhere, trash going into the waters after 

beach parties, children swimming in our waterways without any 

type of supervision where there are clearly ‘‘no swimming’’ signs, 

illegal unregistered cars parked all over our grassland area. 

We have had fights breaking out where the security guards are 

running for their lives, a slashing and a strangulation within the 

confines of the base camp. 
6 

And let me make it clear: these are the events that we know 

about. Reports from the police officers and park police have stated 

that the staff at the compound are hiding what is happening in the 

base camp, oftentimes not calling it a criminal activity, and are 

unwilling to allow law enforcement into the tents. 

The powers that be knew that this was a recipe for disaster. 

They knew that putting 2,000 people who claim they were 

desperate and seeking asylum in a different place of desperation 

was not going to go well. So, what did they do? They said that it 

was exaggerated by us, and when we asked the questions, they 

said that they will circle back. 

The only thing that I can say to those who made those decisions 

is that we told you so. We told you that this was no place to house 

these individuals. We told you that this base camp would negatively affect communities and residents. We told you that it would 

affect our transportation and our quality of life. 

The National Park Service mission is to preserve unimpaired 

natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park 

System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and 

future generations. With garbage thrown about, old cars leaking 

into our grasslands, and dangerous e-bikes and scooters carelessly 

being placed and used on our park land evades that mission. 

As we near the end of the lease, we are here again once more, 

and we ask that this lease not be renewed. We need to restore our 

national park and bring back the quality of life that the residents 

of the communities I serve deserve. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Williams follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF JAIME WILLIAMS, ASSEMBLYMEMBER, 59TH ASSEMBLY

DISTRICT, NEW YORK STATE

Good morning Chair Westerman, Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury and 

members of the committee. Thank you for inviting me here today. My name is 

Jaime Williams and I represent the 59th Assembly District in New York State. 

Last September, without any input from the surrounding communities, National 

Parks Service entered into an agreement with New York City to house migrants in 

tents at Floyd Bennett Field. No thought was put into how it would affect tax paying New Yorkers, who live and work in Marine Park, Mill Basin, Gerritsen Beach. 

Mill Island, the Rockaways and other parts of the surrounding area. No care was 

given to the how this would affect our already depleted police precincts; how our 

transportation would be affected; how the conditions of our park would be affected; 

what this would do to our local businesses or what an influx of 2000 people meant 

for residents in the surrounding areas. No one who was making those decisions 

cared about the answers to those questions. 

Over the last nine months we have seen the answers to those questions come to 

life. We see increased response time to crimes, overcrowded buses where fights 

break out among the migrants. We see people illegally selling food in our streets 

with babies strapped to their backs, young school aged children who instead of being 

in class are sitting on a median or walking in and out of traffic selling chocolate 

bars. We see migrants begging at our doors and trying our door handles at all hours 

of the day and night. We have seen migrants attempting to jump in front of cars. 

Illegal, unlicensed and unregistered scooters zooming in and out of lanes of traffic 

carelessly. We see residents unable to shop at our local stores without being 

harassed by the migrants who are aggressively panhandling in our store parking 

lots. We see our schools inundated by more students, who rarely show up to class 

on time, disrupting the day for the children who come on time ready to learn. 

We have seen the conditions at our park deteriorate with garbage strewn everywhere. Trash going into our waters after ‘‘beach’’ parties. Illegal unregistered cars 

parked all over our grassland area. We have had fights breaking out, where the 

security guards are running for their lives. A slashing and a strangulation within 

the confines of the basecamp. And let me make it clear. These are the events that 
7 

we know about. Reports from local police officers and park police have stated that 

the staff at the compound are hiding what is happening in the base camp, oftentimes not calling in criminal activity and are unwilling to allow law enforcement 

into the tents. 

The powers that be knew that this was a recipe for disaster. They knew that 

putting 2000 people who claimed they were desperate and seeking asylum in a different place of desperation was not going to go well. So what do they do? They act 

like everything we are saying is exaggerated or tell us that they will ‘‘circle back 

to us’’ when we have a complaint and are looking for a resolution. 

The only thing I can say to those who made this decision is we told you so. We 

told you that this was no place to house people. We told you that this basecamp 

would negatively affect the communities and residents. We told you that it would 

affect our transportation and our quality of life. We told you that housing 2000 

people in tents in the middle of a field was a bad idea for everyone. 

The National Park Service mission is to ‘‘preserve unimpaired the natural and 

cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, 

education, and inspiration of this and future generations.’’ With garbage strewn 

about, old cars leaking into our grasslands and dangerous ebikes and scooters carelessly being used in the Park, the agency has failed that mission. 

As we near the end of the lease, we again say no more of this. This lease cannot 

be renewed. We need to restore our National Park, and bring back the quality of 

life that the residents of the communities I serve deserve. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you very much, Ms. Williams. I now recognize 

Mr. King for his 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF PAUL KING, PRESIDENT, BELLE HARBOR 

PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, BELLE HARBOR, 

NEW YORK 

Mr. KING. Thank you. Good morning, Chairman, Ranking 

Member Stansbury, and members of the Committee. My name is 

Paul King. I am a long-time civic leader on the Rockaway 

Peninsula, which is just across Jamaica Bay from Floyd Bennett 

Field. I am currently President of the Belle Harbor Property 

Owners Association. I am also a member of Queens Community 

Board 14. 

I am 60 years old, and I have lived every one of those years 

within 4 miles of Floyd Bennett Field. I use Floyd Bennett Field 

and Gateway National Recreation Area for youth sports, kayaking, 

biking, and camping. 

Uninformed critics mock Floyd Bennett Field as just an old 

airport. And it is true, the Federal Government terribly neglects 

Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, and Charles Park. But the field 

and Jamaica Bay are wonderful, natural resources in our crowded 

boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, where our citizens don’t have a 

lot of space to enjoy nature. 

From the moment Governor Kathy Hochul said she wanted a 

migrant camp in Floyd Bennett Field, people from across the 

political spectrum said it was a bad idea, a flat-out mistake: local 

civic associations, sports organizations, park advocates, and the 

legal aid society. 

Indeed, my Congressman, Gregory Meeks, a Democrat, said 

putting a tent city in Floyd Bennett Field was a terrible idea, perhaps even inhumane. The Congressman knows that Floyd Bennett 

Field is exposed and cold in the winter. It is a floodplain that is 

susceptible to storm surges during hurricanes. It makes no sense. 

But the Congressman also said the migrant camp would not 
8 

happen because housing on a national park is against the law. He 

said only an emergency declaration by President Biden would make 

it legal. And Congressman Meeks was right. The camp is illegal. 

It directly violates the Act of Congress that created Gateway. 

It is also a terrible place for people to live. We have had one big 

rainstorm, not a hurricane, not a big nor’easter, and the camp had 

to be evacuated. I mean, it seems that Floyd Bennett Field’s only 

benefit is it is a place where Mayor Adams can hide the migrants 

far away from Manhattan. 

Unfortunately, as Assemblywoman Williams was saying, all of 

the residual effects, the direct harm to our neighboring communities in Brooklyn and Rockaway, the things that we warned about, 

are coming true. Our neighborhoods are where New Yorkers live 

their American dream. Our parents and grandparents worked hard 

and sacrificed to create safe spaces for their children. We are doing 

the same for our children. But now crime and lawlessness are 

increasing in our communities. 

Migrants on these illegal scooters not only weave in and out of 

traffic, they run through stop signs and red lights. They even fly 

down the sidewalks at high speed. They don’t respect our laws or 

our safety. Aggressive panhandling, it is happening at schools and 

homes. Just last week, a migrant from Floyd Bennett Field was 

caught on video climbing onto a second floor terrace in Neponsit 

and trying to break into someone’s house. Our retail stores are suffering from shoplifting and lost customers. We have migrants with 

small children not only standing in boulevard medians, they are 

out on the highway hawking fruit and drinks. 

And the park itself is being damaged. The park is being damaged 

and dumped on. Our own working-class Americans are losing 

opportunities to earn money. And the list goes on. But almost all 

of this was predictable. And ladies and gentleman, the worst is yet 

to come. 

Summertime, utilization of the parks spikes. The number of 

people who come to the beaches in Rockaway spikes, just as well. 

Thousands of extra people, including some of the folks who are 

proving to be bad guests, will flow into neighborhoods that have 

limited services and very little police presence. Similar to what the 

assemblywoman said, it is a recipe for disaster. 

In September, hurricane season kicks in full force. The National 

Hurricane Center said this is going to be a bad year, with as many 

as four to seven major storms. Having literally been in the Atlantic 

Ocean during Sandy, I can tell you, you don’t want to be in a tent 

a few feet above sea level when the big one hits. 

Now, as you know, New York City and the National Park Service 

almost certainly will extend the lease this September. This is a 

mistake. It must not be allowed. It is bad for the migrants. It is 

bad for citizens. It is bad for our national park, and it is bad for 

our National Park System since the NPS Director’s memo claiming 

this camp is consistent with the purpose of the park opens the door 

for every national park to be used as a migrant camp. 

So, I ask the Committee to do everything in its power to provide 

relief to the citizens in Brooklyn and Queens, to make sure that 

this temporary camp doesn’t become permanent, and to end the 

illegal lease in Floyd Bennett Field. 
9 

Thank you for your time. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. King follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF PAUL KING, PRESIDENT, BELLE HARBOR PROPERTY

OWNERS ASSOCIATION

Good morning Chairman Gosar, Ranking Member Stansbury and members of the 

committee. 

My name is Paul King. I am a long-time civic leader on the Rockaway Peninsula 

which is across Jamaica Bay from Floyd Bennett Field. I currently president of the 

Belle Harbor Property Owners Association and a member of Queens CB14. I am 60 

years old and have lived every one of those years within 4 miles of FBF. I use FBF 

and Gateway National Recreation Area for youth sports, kayaking, biking and 

camping. 

Uninformed critics mock FBF as just an old airport. It is true the Federal government terribly neglects FBF . . . and Ft. Tidlen . . . and Charles Park, but the park 

and Jamaica Bay are wonderful natural assets for citizens in our crowded boroughs 

of Brooklyn and Queens. 

From the moment Governor Kathy Hochul said she wanted a migrant camp in 

FBF, people from across the political spectrum said it was a mistake. Local civic 

associations, youth sports organizations, park advocates, the Legal Aid Society. 

Indeed, my Congressman, Gregory Meeks, a Democrat said putting a tent city in 

FBF was a terrible idea, even inhumane. The Congressman knows that FBF is 

exposed and cold in the winter. It a flood plain that is susceptible to storm surges 

during hurricanes. It made no sense, but the Congressman also said the migrant 

camp would not happen because housing in a national park is against the law. He 

said only an emergency declaration by President Biden would make it legal. 

And Congressman Meeks was right. This camp is illegal. It directly violates the 

Act of Congress that created Gateway. It is also a terrible place for people to live. 

We had one big rainstorm—not even a hurricane or Nor’easter—and the camp had 

to be evacuated. 

Unfortunately, all of the residual effects we warned about—direct harm to our 

neighboring communities in Brooklyn and Rockaway—are coming true. 

Our neighborhoods are where the American dream comes true in NYC. Our 

parents and grandparents worked hard and sacrificed to create safe places for their 

children. We do the same for our children. 

• Now crime and lawlessness are increasing in our communities. 

• Illegal scooters are rampant, damaging beaches in Floyd Bennett Field, 

weaving in and out of traffic on our roads, and even zipping at high speeds 

down sidewalks. 

• Aggressive panhandling has included migrants coming onto people’s 

properties to demand money. In one case in Belle Harbor, a mother was just 

getting her children into the house after school when she was confronted by 

a migrant demanding money in her left. 

• Just last week, a migrant from Floyd Bennett Field was captured on video, 

climbing onto a second-floor balcony in Neponset and trying to enter a home. 

• Many of these migrant are just poor people trying to find a better life, but 

some are gang members, like the Venezuelan criminal from Tren de Aragua 

who shot two cops last week. 

• Our retail stores are suffering. 

• We have migrants with small children standing in the middle of highways 

trying to hawk fruit and chocolate. 

• Our own working class and poor Americans are losing opportunities to earn 

money. 

Almost all of this was predictable. 

And, ladies and gentlemen, the worst is yet to come. In July and August, park 

utilization spikes as does beach usage in Rockaway. Thousands of extra people— 

including those who are proving to be bad guests—will flow into neighborhoods that 

have limited services and very little police presence. It is a recipe for disaster. 

In September, hurricane season kicks in in full force. The NHC is predicting an 

above-normal hurricane season, with 4 to 7 major hurricanes. Having been literally 

in the Atlantic Ocean during Sandy, I can assure you that you do not want to be 

in a tent a few feet above sea level when a big one hits. 
10 

Sure, we can evacuate the migrants ahead of a hurricane, but to where? NYC 

does not have a clear evacuation plan. And if thousands of migrants take slots in 

the storm shelters, where will our citizens go? 

As you know, NYC and the NPS can—and almost certainly will—extend the lease 

this September. This is a mistake. It must not be allowed. It’s bad for the migrants. 

It’s bad for our citizens. It’s bad for our National Park. 

And it is bad for our National Park System. The NPS Director’s memo 

proclaiming his migrant camp is consistent with the purpose of the park, not only 

strains credulity; it opens the door to having migrant camps at every national park 

as long as rent is being paid and used for park improvements. 

So I ask the committee to do everything in its power to provide relief to the 

citizens of Brooklyn and Queens. End this illegal lease in Floyd Bennett Field. 

Thank you for your time. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. King. I now recognize 

Ms. Fischer for her 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF AMY FISCHER, DIRECTOR OF REFUGEE AND 

MIGRANT RIGHTS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA, 

WASHINGTON, DC 

Ms. FISCHER. Thank you, Chair Gosar and Ranking Member 

Stansbury, for the opportunity to testify this morning. 

Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning global human 

rights organization committed to fighting for a world in which 

every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As the Director of Refugee 

and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA, I work to 

ensure the United States is upholding these human rights obligations, particularly Article 14, stating that everyone has the right to 

seek and enjoy asylum from persecution, and Article 25 establishing that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate 

for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including 

food, clothing, housing, medical care, and necessary social services. 

And while I am here today in my professional capacity, in my 

personal life I am a proud volunteer with Migrant Solidarity 

Mutual Aid, an organization here in Washington, DC, made up of 

hundreds of volunteers, community organizations, and faith institutions that has welcomed thousands of newcomers to our community. I have spent my free time welcoming new arrivals off of 

busses, helping to fill out immigration applications, sorting and distributing donations, and delivering furniture and household goods 

to my new neighbors. And earlier this year, my family and I provided shelter in our home for an asylum-seeking family who was 

left on the winter streets by D.C.’s Office of Migrant Services that 

had a three-night shelter limit at the time. This 1-year-old girl and 

her sweet parents stayed in our home and became an extension of 

our family until they were able to move to an apartment of their 

own. 

It is through this personal experience that I know the joy of 

welcoming people with dignity, and it is in my capacity as the 

Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty that I know 

that the United States has an obligation to do so under international law. 

The situation in New York City was a perfect storm of high 

numbers of newcomers, exacerbated by Governor Abbott’s bussing 
11 

program, and people arriving without existing resources in the 

United States. As New York City was struggling to respond to high 

numbers of new arrivals, there was a lack of focus on case management, housing, and job programs. Limited access to work permits 

and processing delays further exacerbated the issue by restricting 

people’s ability to work and save money to move out of shelters and 

into permanent housing. This led to the shelter population outpacing capacity in New York City, and the city finding far more 

inaccessible places to shelter its new residents, like Floyd Bennett 

Field. 

Alternatively, a coordinated reception system that meets the 

immediate and medium-term needs of people seeking safety would 

cut the chaos and dysfunction both at the border and the interior, 

while local communities reap the windfall benefits of new Federal 

funding avenues, spending power of new arrivals, and new tax 

revenue. 

A recent study by the Department of Health and Human 

Services found that resettled refugees and asylees contributed 

billions more in Federal, state, and local government revenues than 

they received in services. Across the country, programs that provide case management, legal assistance, and social services have 

been proven to be cost effective, help people leave shelters into permanent housing, and ensure compliance with immigration 

requirements. 

Specifically, Congress should robustly fund the Shelter and 

Services Program that provides financial support to local governments and community organizations to offer immediate reception 

services to new arrivals, expand the successful Case Management 

Pilot program, and create a destination reception fund to send 

Federal dollars to state, local, and tribal communities to build 

medium-term reception programs that promote self-sufficiency and 

bolster local capacity to ensure new and old community members 

have what they need to thrive. 

I will close with the story of Carla, who fled Venezuela with her 

husband and two children to seek safety and security. When they 

arrived in Washington, DC in October 2022, they were provided 

shelter in a hotel room. Carla and her husband first found underthe-table work until they could pay an attorney and file for asylum. 

Finally, after saving up more money, they were able to move out 

of the shelter and into their new apartment in October 2023. 

Carla benefited from welcoming services, but says she could have 

moved out of the shelter sooner with access to legal assistance, 

rental assistance, and case management. A licensed cosmetologist 

in Venezuela, Carla has opened a cosmetology business in her new 

home, and hopes to expand to hire workers and give back to her 

new community. This April, Carla filed taxes for the first time, and 

is putting her newly minted work permit to good use. And she is 

grateful to this country for all that it has given her. 

People seeking safety don’t damage our communities. They make 

them more vibrant and help our economies grow. I encourage 

Congress to invest in solutions that uphold the dignity and human 

rights of all of our communities, both those who have called the 

United States home for generations and those arriving to our 

borders with dreams. Thank you. 
12 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Fischer follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF AMY FISCHER, DIRECTOR, REFUGEE AND MIGRANT RIGHTS, 

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA 

On behalf of Amnesty International USA and our members and supporters in the 

United States, I am grateful to the Chair Gosar and Ranking Member Stansbury, 

for the invitation to provide testimony in the hearing entitled, ‘‘Destroying America’s 

Best Idea: Biden’s Border Crisis, Desecrating National Park Lands and Damaging 

Communities’’ on June 13, 2024. 

Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning global human rights organization 

committed to fighting for the human rights of all people—no matter who they are 

or where they are. Amnesty is the world’s oldest and largest global grassroots 

human rights organization, and as the U.S. section of the organization, we have 

members and activists in all 50 states. Our members are part of a larger global 

movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. 

Our vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights 

enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international 

human rights instruments. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General 

Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 14 

of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. Enshrined in international and domestic law, the 

right to seek asylum is a bedrock of refugee protection. Under the 1951 Convention 

Relating to the Status of Refugees, of which the United States was a key drafter, 

and its 1967 Protocol, the latter of which the U.S. incorporated into domestic law 

through the 1980 Refugee Act, governments must uphold the right to seek asylum. 

The U.S. government codified in domestic law the right to seek asylum both at and 

between ports-of-entry along the U.S. border. 

Further, Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that 

‘‘everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care 

and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in 

circumstances beyond his control.’’ That right extends to all people, regardless of 

their immigration status. 

As the Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA, 

a key aspect of my role is working to ensure the United States is upholding these 

human rights obligations regarding the treatment of migrants, asylum seekers and 

refugees, both at its borders and within the interior of the U.S. And while I am here 

today in my professional capacity, the decision to leave someone’s home in order to 

seek safety is a deeply personal one. Like so many other Americans across the 

United States, my family came to the United States generations ago to seek protection from persecution. And in my personal capacity, I have committed myself to 

welcoming the new generation of people seeking safety, as I am also a proud cofounder and organizer of Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, an organization of hundreds of volunteers and dozens of community organizations and faith institutions 

that came together in April 2022 to welcome asylum seekers arriving to the District 

of Columbia on buses sent by Texas Governor Abbott. Since our founding, we have 

welcomed thousands of people seeking safety in our community. In 2023 alone, over 

1,800 adults and nearly 1,300 children came to access our free store located in a 

nearby church so newly arrived families could access supplies such as clothes, 

diapers, and shoes; our volunteers assisted with school enrollment for nearly 600 

youth; our successful rent support program allowed us to jump-start new apartments for 50 families; and our furniture team obtained beds, couches, tables, chairs, 

and kitchen supplies for nearly 350 migrant families. Our medical programs have 

supported over 100 newly arrived children with their dental needs, over 80 adults 

and children with optometry care, and our perinatal support group has welcomed 

over 50 new babies to our community. We have led legal clinics to help hundreds 

of families apply for asylum, apply for Temporary Protected Status, and work permits. Over 50 children attended our summer camp programs last summer, and just 

this past weekend, our volunteers held a community baseball event with newly 

arrived youngsters in the community. Our vast volunteer network consists of people 

from all walks of life, who spend their free time showing a warm welcome to their 

new neighbors. 

I have personally spent my weekends, early mornings, and evenings welcoming 

new arrivals off buses, helping new arrivals fill out immigration applications, 

sorting and distributing donations with my children, and delivering furniture and 
13 

1 UNHRC Press Release, 25 October 2023, https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/press-releases/ 

unhcr-forced-displacement-continues-grow-conflicts-escalate?_gl=1*12bi9yz*_rup_ga*MTQxMDky 

NjU3Ny4xNzE3OTU0OTgz*_rup_ga_EVDQTJ4LMY*MTcxNzk1NDk4My4xLjAuMTcxNzk1NDk 

4My42MC4wLjA, last accessed 9 June 2024. 2 CBP, ‘‘Southwest Land Border Encounters’’, 22 March 2024, cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/ 

southwest-land-border-encounters. 3 UNHCR, Mid-Year Trends 2023 (previously cited), p. 2; DHS, ‘‘Refugees and Asylees Annual 

Flow Report’’, dhs.gov/ohss/topics/immigration/refugees-asylees-afr. 4 UNHCR, Mid-Year Trends 2023 (previously cited), p. 24; UNHCR, Global Trends—Forced 

Displacement in 2022, 14 June 2023, unhcr.org/global-trends-report-2022, p. 30. 5 UN, Haiti se encuentra al borde de una hambruna, https://news.un.org/es/story/2024/03/ 

1528312. 6 UNHCR, Advisory Opinion on the Extraterritorial Application of Non-Refoulement 

Obligations under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, 

Continued 

household goods to my new neighbors. And for the final weeks of 2023 and the first 

few weeks of 2024, my family and I provided shelter in our home for an asylumseeking family from Venezuela who was left on the streets during the cold DC 

winter after being denied shelter by DC Mayor Bowser’s Office of Migrant Services 

that had in place a 3-night shelter limit at the time for migrants. My two boys 

shared a room for a few weeks, while this beautiful 1-year old girl and her sweet 

parents stayed in our home, shared meals with us, and became an extension of our 

family until they were able to get an apartment of their own a few miles away. It 

is through this personal experience that I know the joys and the strength that 

welcoming people with dignity can bring to our communities. And it is in my capacity as the Director of Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA, 

that I also know that it is the United States obligation to do so under international 

human rights and refugee law. 

As the number of people fleeing violence and persecution continues to grow, 

protecting the human rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees is of critical 

importance. The dangerous circumstances facing people fleeing persecution, and 

those forced by violence, economic hardship and the climate crisis to journey across 

borders, continue to be one of the United States’ most serious human rights concerns. Large numbers of migrants and refugees from across the world continue to 

make perilous journeys through Mexico in order to come to the United States to 

seek protection. As of the end of September 2023, over 114 million people were 

forcibly displaced worldwide.1 In 2023, over 2.5 million asylum seekers and 

migrants entered the United States at the US-Mexico border.2 The United States 

was the world’s largest recipient of new asylum claims as of June 2023, with 

540,600 new individual claims submitted.3 The majority of asylum claims were 

made by individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean, notably Venezuela, 

Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras and Haiti.4

Amnesty International has documented the conditions in these countries that 

force people to flee. In Venezuela, lack of access to economic and social rights is a 

serious concern, with the majority of the population experiencing severe food insecurity. Critics of President Maduro’s government are arbitrarily detained, forcibly 

disappeared and tortured with the acquiescence of the judicial system. The UN 

Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela exposed crimes against humanity, called for 

investigations into the state’s repressive policies, and noted a lack of compliance 

with previous recommendations. Millions of Venezuelans have fled their country, 

and those who have been deported to the country have faced arbitrary arrest. 

In Cuba, Amnesty International has documented how repression of dissent has 

led to activists, political opponents and journalists being harassed, persecuted and 

imprisoned. Cuba has faced an ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis resulting 

in shortages of food, fuel and electricity, while discrimination against minority 

groups is prevalent, affecting Afro-descendants, women and girls, LGBTQI people, 

and members of religious communities. 

While in Haiti, decades of political instability, extreme poverty, natural disasters, 

the weakening of state institutions and the lack of real engagement from the international community, has left the population at risk of violence. The recent escalation of violence has reached alarming levels, with reports of dozens of deaths, 

kidnappings, sexual violence against women and girls, and the forced displacement 

of more than 35,000 people since the beginning of 2024.5

These situations demonstrate what are the drivers that force people to flee their 

homes, and the United States has both domestic and international obligations to 

provide access to territory and to individualized and fair assessments of all requests 

for protection by asylum seekers looking for safety at the border, in a way that does 

not discriminate based on migration status, including the manner of entry.6
14 

26 January 2007, unhcr.org/refworld/docid/45f17a1a4.html, para. 7; UNHCR, ‘‘Comments of the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the Proposed Rule from the U.S. Department of Justice (Executive Office for Immigration Review) and the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services): ‘‘Circumvention of Lawful 

Pathways’’, CIS No. 2736-22, DHS Docket No. USCIS 2022-0016, A.G. Order No. 5605-2023, 20 

March 2023, refworld.org/pdfid/6417e6674.pdf, pp. 4-5; Amnesty International, Mandatory Use 

of CBP One Application Violates the Right to Seek Asylum (previously cited), pp. 7-9; Amnesty 

International, ‘‘They Did Not Treat Us Like People’’ (previously cited), p. 18. 7 UNHCR, ‘‘Comments of the UNHCR on the Proposed Rule from the U.S. Department of 

Justice’’ (previously cited), p. 3. 8 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a); American Immigration Council, Metering and Asylum Turnbacks, March 

2021, americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/metering_and_asylum_ turnbacks_0.pdf, p. 1. 9 Amnesty International, Americas: Pushback Practices and their Impact on the Human Rights 

of Migrants and Refugees (AMR 01/3658/2021) 8 February 2021, amnesty.org/en/documents/ 

amr01/3658/2021/en/, p. 1. 10 Amnesty International, CBP One—A Blessing or a Trap, https://www.amnestyusa.org/ 

reports/cbp-one-a-blessing-or-a-trap/ 

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ‘‘access 

to a fair and efficient refugee status determination procedure is an essential 

element in the full and inclusive application of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 

Protocol, and indeed a safeguard to protect refugees and asylum seekers from 

refoulement,’’ which is the forcible return of an individual to a country where they 

would be at risk of serious human rights violations (such as persecution or torture).7

In accordance with Title 8 of the US Code, any individual who is physically 

present in the United States or who arrives at the border must be given an opportunity to seek asylum.8 Nevertheless, in recent years, the United States has implemented a series of migration and asylum policies which have drastically limited 

access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, resulting in irreparable harm to thousands of individuals seeking safety from persecution or serious human rights violations in their countries of origin.9 These include ‘‘metering’’, the Migrant Protection 

Protocols (MPP), Title 42 and currently the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways 

Final Rule and President Biden’s latest executive proclamation and interim final 

rule. 

Amnesty International released research last month on the human rights concerns raised by President Biden’s Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Final Rule 

and the CBP One Mobile application, particularly its mandatory use for people 

seeking asylum to schedule appointments to present themselves at U.S. ports of 

entry in order to present their asylum claims.10 The investigation, conducted by 

Amnesty International across various locations in Mexico and the U.S., involved 

interviews with hundreds of asylum seekers, service providers and local and international organizations. Amnesty International found that people seeking asylum 

experience challenges using the application due to an onerous registration process, 

technological errors and flaws and lack of knowledge about the application and how 

it works. Amnesty International also found that asylum seekers traveling through 

Mexico are extorted, kidnapped and experience discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence by both state and non-state actors. The majority stay in shelters 

or informal encampments with inadequate living conditions. People seeking asylum 

struggle to access healthcare, education and employment opportunities. There is no 

certainty as to when people seeking asylum will receive a CBP One appointment, 

which ends up leaving them exposed to violence and hardship for potentially long 

periods of time and pushes them to cross into the United States irregularly, due to 

a lack of alternatives. 

Importantly, the last decade of deterrence policies has not stopped people from 

coming. Why? Because deterrence policies don’t work. Instead, they force people to 

make more dangerous routes to come to the U.S. and fuel criminal actors in Mexico 

who have constantly adapted to U.S. border policies to exploit and endanger people 

seeking safety. As a response, border resources are instead spread thin across all 

areas of the border, rather than allowing people to ask for protection in a dignified, 

orderly fashion. In recent years, policies have forced people to wait in Mexico until 

they have an opportunity to come to the U.S., further exacerbating the targeting 

and violence against people seeking safety in Mexico, particularly Black and 

Indigenous people. The extortion and criminal targeting of migrants in Mexico at 

the border has had lasting effects even when people make it to their new communities in the United States. People are spending their last cent and tapping out the 

resources of their family and friend networks in order to survive in Mexico, so that 

once they arrive in the United States, they are more likely to arrive indigent. 

Amnesty International has recommended time and time again that the United 

States must modernize and invest in capacity at ports of entry in order to allow 
15 

11 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Fiscal Impact of Refugees and Asylees 

at the Federal, State, and Local Levels from 2005 to 2019, https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ 

documents/28fe4e756499bdab08b4e6cb3b952e22/aspe-report-refugee-fiscal-impact.pdf 

people to walk up in a safe, orderly manner and be processed expeditiously. The 

United States must invest CBP’s Office of Field Operations to capacitate and staff 

ports of entry along the border to quickly and effectively process people seeking 

safety without having to wait in Mexico or be denied access to ports and expand 

the number of appointment available in the CBP One mobile application. Amnesty 

encourages the U.S. to end policies that punish asylum seekers for their manner of 

entry and instead invest in programs so people can proceed with their asylum 

claims in communities supported by lawyers, social workers, and community. 

Border walls, mass surveillance, and detention centers are billion-dollar industries 

that have profited from U.S. border policies while communities across the country 

are struggling to provide adequate housing, schooling, health, and care for their 

residents—both new arrivals and community members that have been here for generations. And yet, the lack of federal support for coordinated and comprehensive 

reception of asylum seekers is jeopardizing the viability of the entire U.S. asylum 

system—and the U.S.’s ability to uphold its obligations to protect people seeking 

safety regardless of their connections in the United States. It benefits nobody for 

asylum seekers to find themselves on the streets of our border communities and big 

cities with nowhere to go. Communities across the United States receiving 

newcomers could benefit from an orderly system of support. 

Cities at the border and the interior of the United States, struggle under the 

weight of new arrivals not because of new arrivals are a burden, but because communities are left to build up reception systems largely without federal coordination. 

The situation in New York City was a perfect storm of high numbers of new 

arrivals, exacerbated by Governor Abbott’s busing program, and an arriving population of people seeking safety who did not already have family or community in the 

United States able to receive them. The United States’ ability to provide protection 

for someone seeking safety should not depend on whether or not they have existing 

relationships in the United States who can provide for their socio-economic needs. 

The sheltering of people seeking safety at Floyd Bennett Field was an example 

of where systems collapse when they fail to meet the needs of communities and of 

new arrivals. As New York City was struggling to respond to high numbers of new 

arrivals, there was a lack of focus on case management focused on resilience and 

financial independence, housing, and job programs to help get the new arrivals out 

of the shelters and into their new homes. Limited access to work permits and processing delays further exacerbated the issue by limiting new arrivals’ ability to begin 

working and providing for their families. This led to the shelter population outpacing capacity in New York City, and the city finding far more remote and inaccessible places to shelter its new residents. In this instance, it is asylum seekers and 

New Yorkers bearing the brunt of the consequences of failed border policies. 

Instead, a coordinated and funded welcome and reception system that meets the 

immediate and medium-term need of people seeking safety would cut the chaos and 

disfunction at the border and in big cities in the U.S., while state, local and tribal 

communities reap the windfall benefits of new federal funding avenues, spending 

power of new arrivals, and new tax revenue. Local governments and community 

organizations at the border have been working for years to build a welcoming infrastructure that eases capacity restraints on border agencies, prevents releases into 

the streets of border cities, educates new arrivals about their immigration responsibilities, and helps them stay off the streets and get connected to their friends, families, and new communities in the United States. And across the country, programs 

that provide people seeking safety with access to case management, legal assistance, 

and social services have been proven to be more cost effective than expensive detention programs, help people leave costly shelter systems and into homes of their own, 

and ensure people are able to comply with their immigration requirements. Further, 

new arrivals can meet the unmet needs of local economies, fill labor shortages, and 

greatly contribute to their new communities in ways that benefit all residents—both 

new and old. 

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that 

from 2005 to 2019, resettled refugees and people granted asylum in the U.S. contributed billions more in federal, state, and local government revenues than they 

received in services.11 Newly arrived immigrants can be a boon to local economies 

as economists have estimated that for every 1,000 newly arrived workers, initial 
16 

12 Immigration Research Initiative, Economic Projections for Asylum Seekers and New 

Immigrants: U.S. and State-Level Data, https://immresearch.org/publications/economicprojections-for-asylum-seekers-and-new-immigrants-u-s-and-50-states/ 13 Id. 14 International Detention Coalition, Gaining Ground: Promising Practice to Reduce and End 

Immigration Detention, https://idcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Gaining-GroundReport-2022.pdf 15 Vera Institute of Justice, The Case for Universal Representation, https://www.vera.org/ 

advancing-universal-representation-toolkit/the-case-for-universal-representation-1 

state and local tax revenues are expected to increase by $2.5 million.12 After these 

immigrants have been there for about five years, this same model predicts that for 

each 1,000 workers annual wages to be $32 million and state and local tax revenues 

would be $3.6 million.13

Extensive evidence-based international research has demonstrated that case management programs, when appropriately implemented, are the most successful form 

of supporting people navigating the immigration process.14 And legal representation 

is a critical path to ensure immigrants show up to court and comply with its 

requirements, help new arrivals get immigration relief, and unburden the courts by 

speeding up processing.15

The path forward is a system of coordinated support services that can ease the 

pressure at the border and enable newcomers to contribute to the communities who 

receive them. Specifically, Congress should robustly fund the Shelter and Services 

Program that provides financial support to local governments and community organizations to offer immediate reception services to people seeking safety; expand the 

Case Management Pilot Program to provide a voluntary, case management program 

to people seeking safety; and establish and fund a Destination Reception Fund to 

send federal dollars to state, local, and tribal communities to establish and expand 

medium-term reception programs that promote self-sufficiency of newcomers and 

bolsters local capacity to ensure new and old community members have what they 

need to thrive. The United States should also direct a whole of government 

approach to welcome that includes a new White House position and a new DHS 

office to coordinate intra-agency and inter-governmental efforts to welcome people 

seeking safety. The U.S. can no longer do this in a piecemeal, uncoordinated 

fashion. 

For too many years, Congress has poured billions of taxpayer dollars into immigration enforcement-only responses to people seeking safety that have failed to meet 

the needs of newcomers—and has also left cities, counties, and community organizations to foot the bill—and face the human consequences—of providing support in the 

resulting chaos. Coordinated support services are cheaper than expensive detention 

programs and help state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofits better 

balance their budgets and services between newcomers and long-term community 

members. 

I would like to close with the story of Karla. Karla arrived to the United States 

from Venezuela with her husband and two children to seek safety, security, and a 

new life in October 2022. Karla arrived with no sponsors in the United States who 

could house her, but had some community already in Washington, DC. When Karla 

and her family arrived at an under-resourced border town after being released from 

processing with the Department of Homeland Security, she had little choice but to 

take a free bus paid for by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to New York City. Upon 

arriving in New York, Karla and her family were greeted by city officials and nongovernmental organizations who received and fed her family, provided overnight 

accommodations, and assistance getting tickets to Washington, DC. With a more 

coordinated reception system, Karla could have gone straight to her destination 

community. 

When Karla and her family arrived in Washington, DC, they were provided 

shelter in a single hotel room with no kitchen for a year—while Karla and her 

husband found under-the-table work until they could hire an attorney, file for 

asylum, and eventually get their work permits. Finally, after saving up more money 

and receiving rental assistance from Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, Karla’s family 

was able to move out of the shelter and into their new apartment in October 2023. 

Karla benefited from welcoming services both at the border and in New York City 

and says she could have moved out of the D.C. shelter sooner with earlier access 

to legal assistance, rental assistance, and case management aimed at resiliency. 

Karla, a licensed cosmetologist in Venezuela, has opened a cosmetology business in 

her new home and hopes to expand to be able to hire more workers and give back 

to her new community. This past April, Karla filed taxes for the first time in the 

United States and is putting her newly minted work permit to good use. She says 

that this is the first time that she’s been able to pay rent and provide for her family, 
17 

a dream come true for her, and she’s grateful to this country for all that it has given 

her. 

Newcomers don’t damage our communities; they make them brighter and more 

vibrant and help our economies grow. Families across the United States are struggling to make ends meet while they see billions of their taxpayer dollars fuel policies 

at the border that have created heartbreaking humanitarian crises and chaos everywhere from small towns to big cities. Brave, resilient families and individuals are 

arriving at the U.S. southern border to exercise their right to seek safety and seek 

a new life where they follow their dreams and contribute to their new communities 

only to be thrust into a broken system that profits off their suffering. The United 

States is abandoning decades old international obligations to uphold the human 

right to seek asylum and not send people back to the very harms that they fled. 

Decades of Congressional inaction, pitting of communities against each other, and 

political mudslinging have failed to produce any solutions that work for communities—neither those who have called the United States home for generations or 

those arriving at our borders with dreams. Amnesty International USA encourages 

Congress to instead invest in solutions that uphold the safety and dignity of all our 

communities. 

Thank you, again, to the subcommittee for the opportunity to testify. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD TO AMY FISCHER, DIRECTOR, REFUGEE AND

MIGRANT RIGHTS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA 

Questions Submitted by Representative Gosar 

Question 1. In your written testimony, you say, ‘‘There was a lack of focus on case 

management focused on resilience and financial independence, housing, and job 

programs to help get the new arrivals out of the shelters and into their new homes.’’ 

Why was that the case? 

Answer. Case Management programs connect people seeking safety to the tools 

and resources they need to settle into their new communities, enroll their children 

in schools, start providing for themselves so they can leave costly shelter programs, 

comply with their immigration requirements, and begin contributing to their new 

communities. These programs should be implemented by nonprofit entities like 

faith, ethnic, and community-based organizations or resettlement agencies that have 

experience with helping newly arrived refugees settle into their new communities. 

When New York City started receiving high numbers of newly arrived asylum 

seekers, officials focused on building out an emergency structure to receive new 

arrivals, but failed to invest in the types of programs and services that would then 

help people be able to exit shelters, work, and live dependently. For example, in 

2023, the NYC government signed a $432 million contract with DocGo, a private 

medical services provider with no prior experience caring for asylum seekers, to 

house and care for new arrivals in NYC shelters. It was only in April 2024, that 

NYC then ended that contract with DocGo amid reports of abuse and mismanagement and began seeking contracting services from ‘‘nonprofits and internationally 

recognized resettlement providers.’’ Amnesty International USA believes that had 

the City instead made these investments in 2022 when it began to receive high 

numbers of people seeking safety in its shelter system, it could have jumpstarted 

new arrivals’ ability to leave shelters and make space for newer arrivals and 

prevented the resulting ballooning of the shelter population. 

Question 2. In your written testimony, you talk about how New Yorkers and 

Asylum Seekers are bearing the brunt of failed border policies. What policies that are 

currently in place have failed? 

Answer. For years, Congress has poured billions of taxpayer dollars into border 

policies aimed at deterring migration including but not limited to militarization, 

externalization of borders, widespread use of immigration detention, and expedited 

removals. On June 4, the Biden Administration issued a ‘‘Presidential Proclamation 

to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict 

Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border’’ which Amnesty International USA considers to violate the US obligations under international human 

rights and refugee law. This new proclamation adds to the Biden Administration’s 

Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Final Rule. These current policies require people 

to use the CBP One application to seek asylum in the United States, and the fact 

that it is only possible to apply for appointments from central to northern Mexico 
18 

means that asylum seekers must now wait in Mexico for undetermined amounts of 

time while they apply for CBP One appointments. Amnesty International found that 

asylum seekers traveling through Mexico are often extorted, kidnapped and experience discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence by both state and nonstate actors. Increasing wait times for CBP One appointments and uncertainty 

about when people seeking asylum will be given an appointment, compounded by 

the dangerous and difficult situation in Mexico, and Mexican authorities blocking 

access to ports of entry has forced many asylum seekers to make the difficult decision to cross into the United States without a CBP One appointment, and under 

current policy, they will be removed without access to asylum. Because people are 

tapping out their resources in order to survive in Mexico, they are arriving to cities 

like New York without even the most basic of resources. Alternatively, a coordinated 

system that upholds human rights and invests in systems that welcome people 

seeking safety would save tax payer dollars while easing pressure at the border, and 

enabling newcomers to contribute to the communities who receive them. 

Question 3. Do you believe that one of the reasons why New Yorkers and Asylum 

Seekers bear the brunt of these failed policies was because of poor planning by the 

Biden Administration in the execution of Floyd Bennett Field? 

Answer. The Biden Administration struggled to adopt a coordinated national 

response to welcome high numbers of asylum seekers, and instead, ceded the 

strategy to Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star busing program which bused 

thousands of people seeking safety without existing ties to the United States to New 

York City, as well as Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Amnesty 

believes that an Office of Reception Coordination tasked with leading a whole-ofgovernment response to mobilize federal agencies and serving as a liaison to 

receiving communities and programs welcoming people seeking safety would instead 

prevent Floyd Bennett Field from becoming a necessity. This coordinating office 

would facilitate cooperation across federal agencies, share timely information with 

states and localities to better plan responses and ensure efficient use of resources, 

and help government and nongovernmental service providers navigate and access 

available federal resources. 

Question 4. According to the U.N., the massive numbers of deaths and disappearances of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border has made it the deadliest land migration route for migrants worldwide. Meanwhile, the cartels are exploiting migrants 

seeking to enter the U.S., demanding thousands of dollars per migrant, and in some 

instances forcing migrants into cartel labor. Ms. Fischer, would you agree that an 

unprecedented humanitarian crisis has unfolded at the Southern Border under the 

President Biden? 

Answer. Amnesty International and our colleagues at other prominent human 

rights organizations have long documented the human rights consequences of deterrence policies on the safety of asylum seekers in Mexico, spanning presidential 

administrations. Amnesty International has documented how asylum seekers traveling through the country face the serious risk of being extorted, kidnapped and 

experiencing discrimination and sexual and gender based violence by both state and 

non-state actors. According to a survey conducted by UNHCR and its partners in 

Mexico in 2023, 56% of those interviewed had been victims of violence during their 

transit through Mexico, while 42% experienced a violent incident on their journey 

prior to arriving in Mexico. Eighty-five percent of the migrants Doctors Without 

Borders (MSF) attended to in the first half of 2023 had been victims of intentional 

violence on their journey through Mexico. Following the end of Title 42, there has 

been an increase in kidnappings of asylum seekers, especially on the routes to 

Matamoros, Reynosa and Piedras Negras, as well as in these cities. Amnesty International has documented incidents of asylum seekers who were kidnapped right outside of shelters, at bus terminals and from apartments that they were renting. 

Human Rights First has also extensively documented an increase in kidnappings of 

asylum seekers in Chihuahua, Matamoros and Reynosa. And a 2024 study by 

WOLA found that ‘‘the kidnapping and extortion of migrants has increased notably 

since late 2023’’ with ‘‘many describ[ing] this moment as the worst period of violence 

they’ve seen, both in numbers and brutality.’’ There has also been an increase in 

sexual and gender-based violence committed against asylum seekers in Mexico. 

Me ́decins Sans Frontie`res (MSF) reported a 70% increase in consultations for sexual 

violence in Reynosa and Matamoros in the last quarter of 2023 compared with the 

third quarter of the same year. 

Amnesty International has found that the increase in violence targeting asylum 

seekers in Mexico is a result of deterrence policies that make it more difficult to 

seek safety and increase the penalties for doing so. Criminal actors have been 
19 

nimble enough to respond to changing U.S. border policies, particularly the deterrence policies of the last decade that have been proven ineffective time and time 

again at reducing the number of people arriving to our borders. Even the extremely 

cruel practice of President Trump’s family separation failed to deter people coming 

to the US—by the end of 2018, the number of families and children coming to the 

border was going up again. What deterrence policies do accomplish is increase 

violence facing migrants along the border, fuel private companies who profit off 

detention in the U.S. and criminal actors in Mexico who profit off of at-risk families 

seeking safety. 

Question 5. We know that not all people crossing the border enter for malicious 

purposes. Some are families. However, government agencies such as the Border 

Patrol and DEA confirm that the Mexican cartels exploit our open Southern Border 

and the migrant crisis to smuggle massive amounts of fentanyl into the U.S., now 

found in every community in our nation. Not to mention the cartel’s human 

trafficking trade, which forces young men and women into terrible lives of cartel 

labor and crime. What do you believe is the appropriate solution for President 

Biden’s crisis at the Southern Border, that will end the cartels’ rampant abuse of our 

immigration system? 

Answer. Fentanyl is smuggled into the United States by U.S. Citizens who do so 

at U.S. ports of entry, not between ports of entry. Furthermore, only .02% of people 

who have crossed into the United States between ports of entry possessed any 

fentanyl. There is simply no factual connection between the people arriving to our 

borders to seek safety and the issue of fentanyl impacting communities across the 

United States. The United States should adopt public health solutions to address 

the addiction issues facing people struggling with drug use rather than placing the 

blame at the feet of people seeking safety. Furthermore, Congress should fund 

CBP’s Office of Field Operations to capacitate and staff ports of entry along the 

border to quickly and effectively process people seeking safety without having to 

wait in Mexico or be denied access to ports. Such an investment would allow border 

agents to focus on intercepting the fentanyl brought to the United States by U.S. 

citizens at ports rather than being diverted to respond to humanitarian issues 

across the border. 

Question 6. On June 4, 2024, you tweeted out, ‘‘@POTUS just announced his most 

restrictive border policy to date—a first of its kind cap on asylum using the same 

legal authority Trump used for the Muslim Ban. Children and families who fled 

their homes in search of safety will now be stranded and in danger.’’ Has President 

Biden failed our nation regarding immigration? 

Answer. Amnesty International USA is a human rights organization that is 

dedicated to ensuring the United States abides by its international human rights 

obligations and does not determine if any president has ‘‘failed’’ or not. Amnesty has 

long documented U.S. immigration policies that violate human rights spanning 

multiple presidential administrations. 

Question 7. Does President Biden currently have the authority to resolve some of 

the issues you see contributing to the humanitarian crisis through executive action? 

Answer. Yes. Amnesty International has called upon the Biden Administration to 

reverse course on both his most recent Presidential Proclamation as well as the 

Circumvention of Lawful Pathways Final Rule. We have also called upon the Biden 

Administration to expand humanitarian pathways to the United States, expand the 

number of appointments available in the CBP One mobile application and ensure 

that it is not mandatory, end all policies that punish asylum seekers for their manner of entry, and invest in programs so people can proceed with their asylum claims 

in communities supported by lawyers, social workers, and community, not in costly, 

abusive cages or detention centers. 

Question 8. The Floyd Bennett Field Migrant Camp is a flailing effort by the Biden 

Administration to deal with the Southern Border crisis of their own creation. 

Unsurprisingly, we have received near constant reports of increasing crime at the 

Camp and in surrounding communities, displaced migrant families, and unsafe 

living conditions. For these reasons, the migrants themselves do not want to reside 

at Floyd Bennet Field. Do you believe that the Floyd Bennett Field encampment was 

a mistake? That it should not have been done? 

Answer. Amnesty International USA has not independently visited Floyd Bennett 

Field to verify the above. However, as noted in my answers above and in my testimony, we strongly believe that with better federal coordination and city and state 
20 

authorities investing earlier in evidence-based case management, the situation at 

Floyd Bennett Field could have been avoided. 

Question 9. What do you believe led to the rise in crime in New York City following 

the opening of Floyd Bennett Field? 

Answer. There has been no rise in crime in New York City. In fact, since April 

2022 when New York City first started receiving high numbers of newly arrived 

people seeking safety, the overall crime rate in New York City has remained flat, 

and as the New York Times reported, ‘‘many major categories of crime—including 

rape, murder, and shootings—have decreased, according to an analysis of New York 

Police Department’s month-by-month statistics since April 2022.’’ 

Question 10. What do you believe led to the rise in crime in New York City 

following the opening of Floyd Bennett Field? 

Answer. There has been no rise in crime in New York City. In fact, since April 

2022 when New York City first started receiving high numbers of newly arrived 

people seeking safety, the overall crime rate in New York City has remained flat, 

and as the New York Times reported, ‘‘many major categories of crime—including 

rape, murder, and shootings—have decreased, according to an analysis of New York 

Police Department’s month-by-month statistics since April 2022.’’ 

Questions Submitted by Representative Stansbury 

Question 1. Republicans claim that the influx of migrants into the United States 

is responsible for a surge in violent crime in New York City and nationwide. Is there 

any evidence to support this claim? 

Answer. No, there is no evidence that supports the notion that migrants or 

asylum seekers increase crime in their communities. As noted above, crime rates in 

New York City have stayed flat since the city started receiving high numbers of new 

arrivals. Moreover, violent crime in New York City has decreased over this period 

of time. This data also holds nationally and over time. In 2023, researchers at 

Stanford University found that immigrants are 60% less likely than those born in 

the US to be incarcerated. Researchers from the Marshall Project also looked at the 

connection between undocumented immigrants and crime and found that there was 

no link between crime rates and undocumented populations. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify and respond to these additional 

questions for the record. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you very much, Ms. Fischer. And now, Ms. 

Morrissey, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF ELIZABETH MORRISSEY, PRESIDENT, MADISON MARINE PARK HOMECREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION, 

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 

Ms. MORRISSEY. Good morning, Chairman Gosar and Ranking 

Member. Thank you for inviting me to testify today. My name is 

Elizabeth Morrissey, a civic leader from Marine Park Madison 

Homecrest Civic Association, a community in South Brooklyn 

where Floyd Bennett Field is located. I am also a retired New York 

City Police Department lieutenant, and have lived in the area for 

52 years. 

As you are aware, the state and the city sought assistance from 

the Federal Government through the Department of the Interior to 

house thousands of migrants at Floyd Bennett Field. As local civic 

leaders and residents, we were told the city had no other options. 

Floyd Bennett Field is a national park with significant historic 

value to our community. If you have not visited, you would also 

understand that the park has provided a lot of resources, including 

things like aviation club and outdoor spaces for our residents and 
21 

visitors. That being said, it does not have proper infrastructure for 

housing people. 

When we first heard the rumors of this lease being signed 

between the National Park Service and the City of New York, as 

involved citizens we tried to find an official way to make our voices 

heard. However, we were repeatedly denied our community. When 

we tried to explain the challenges of Floyd Bennett Field, including 

the fact that it lacks infrastructure and it is located on a floodplain, 

we were ignored. 

Instead, the city chose to prioritize the rights of sheltering 

migrants at this site. In particular, my question is, where do the 

rights of migrants end and our rights begin as taxpayers? 

If you were at Floyd Bennett Field today, you would realize 

quickly that you are not allowed access to the migrant camp unless 

you are a migrant. As a taxpayer and local civic leader, I have no 

right to enter the shelter. Even local NYPD officers have difficulty 

entering the site when called without first being approved by hired 

private security. However, migrants can enter our community with 

little to no documentation and stay in the camp, which houses families, particularly all without documentation you and I would need 

to get basic driver’s licenses. 

It is not humane to house thousands and thousands of migrants 

in a flood zone. Remember Sandy? We were under water. One 

storm over the past few months was so bad the city had to evacuate the migrants and move them to a local high school gym, 

James Madison, for shelter, which resulted in the school being 

closed the next day to our kids. Is that right? Is it right and 

humane for our community to observe migrant children, sometimes 

accompanied and sometimes not, with parents begging and selling 

candy and fruit on the Flatbush Avenue median between our four 

lanes of traffic on each side? The children are sometimes doing it 

during school hours. 

Floyd Bennett is the very end of the Brooklyn. So, kids have to 

be bussed all over the school to attend. No one is enforcing that 

right. 

The community also has to avoid migrants from jumping in front 

of cars while driving. Migrants are trying to get hit or say they 

were hit to demand money, or they will call the police. The scheme 

has been reported on several news publications as recently as last 

week. Is that right? 

Basic errands to local businesses have become torturous between 

begging and shopping, parking lots, and aggressive panhandling of 

migrants to carry packages for money. Home Depot and Lowe’s 

parking lots are full of migrants, causing fear to our elderly and 

angering others. Our community members are just trying to run 

simple errands on their days off from work for their families. Is 

that right? 

There are videos of large fights breaking out in Floyd Bennett. 

There are domestic calls putting a greater strain on our first 

responders. Our city agencies are already low on manpower. The 

state cannot house thousands and thousands of migrants in close 

quarters, basically like caged animals, and think violence will not 

happen. Is that right? 
22 

Again, the worst part is the children are being used by migrant 

parents to follow delivery trucks and steal packages from the 

trucks, community stoops, and alleyways, ringing doorbells, asking 

for money. Is that right? 

Our local stores have migrants coming in and grabbing products, 

causing some to lock their doors. Our local stores are struggling 

already. 

The summer is coming. Is it humane to leave migrants on 

tarmacs in the blazing sun? Having visited Floyd Bennett prior to 

becoming a national park, once New York City’s first airport, it 

serves as an incredible piece of history. But at the core, it is an 

aviation base. If our middle-class community sees how wrong and 

humane this is, I can’t understand how the rest of the world, particularly officials from the city and state of New York, are blind to 

this. 

I will end with this. ‘‘Things do not happen; things are made to 

happen,’’ John F. Kennedy. Our state is making things happen that 

are not humane for anybody. If there is loss of life this year from 

violence or heat, the state and the city of New York made it 

happen. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Morrissey follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF ELIZABETH MORRISSEY, CIVIC LEADER FROM THE MARINE

PARK/MADISON/HOMECREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Good morning, Chairman Gosar and Ranking Member. Thank you for inviting me 

to testify today. My name is Elizabeth Morrissey, a civic leader from the Marine 

Park/Madison/Homecrest Civic Association, a community in Southern Brooklyn, 

where Floyd Bennett field is located. I am also a retired New York City Police 

Department Lieutenant, and have lived in the area for 52 years. 

As you are aware, the state and city sought assistance from the federal government, through the Department of the Interior, to house thousands of migrants at 

Floyd Bennett Field. 

As local civic leaders and residents, we were told the city had no other options. 

Floyd Bennett Field is a national park, with significant historic value to our community. If you have not visited, you would also understand that this park provided a 

lot of resources, including things like aviation club and outdoor spaces for our residents and visitors. That being said, it does not have proper infrastructure for 

housing people. 

When we first heard the rumors of this lease being signed between the National 

Park Service and the City of New York, as involved citizens, we tried to find an 

official way to make our voices heard. However, we were repeatedly denied. Our 

community when we tried to explain the challenges of Floyd Bennett Field, 

including the fact that it lacks infrastructure and is located on a floodplain, but we 

were ignored. 

Instead, the City chose to prioritize the rights of sheltering migrants at this site 

in particular. My question is, where do the rights of migrant’s end, and our rights, 

as taxpayers, begin. 

If you were to visit Floyd Bennett Field today, you would realize quickly that you 

are not allowed access to the migrant camp, unless you are a migrant. As a taxpayer 

and local civic leader, I have no right to enter the shelter. Even local NYPD officers 

have had difficulty entering the site when called, without first being approved by 

hired private security. However, migrants can enter our community with little to 

no documentation, and stay in this camp, which houses, families, primarily, all 

without the documentation you or I would need to get a basic drivers license. 

Is it not humane to house thousands and thousands of migrants in a flood zone? 

Remember Sandy, we were under water? One storm over the past few months was 

so bad, the city had to evacuate the migrants and move them to our local high 

school’s gym, James Madison for shelter, which resulted in the school being closed 

the next day to our kids. Is that right? 
23 

Is it right and humane for our community to observe migrant children sometimes 

accompanied and sometimes not with their parents begging and selling candy and 

fruit on the Flatbush Ave median between four lanes of traffic on each side. The 

children are sometimes doing it during school hours. Floyd Bennett Field is at the 

very end of Brooklyn, so kids have to be bused all over the city to attend school, 

and no one is enforcing kids going to school. Is that right? 

The community has to avoid migrants from jumping in front of their cars while 

driving. Migrants are trying to get hit or say they were hit to demand money, or 

they will call the police. The scheme has been reported on by several news publications as recently as last week. Is that right? 

Basic errands to local business have become torturous between the begging in 

shopping parking lots and the aggressive panhandling of migrants to carry packages 

for money. Home Depot and Lowes parking lots are full of migrants causing fear 

to our elderly and anger to others. Our community members are trying to run 

simple errands on their days off from work for their families. Is that right? 

There are videos of large fights breaking out in Floyd Bennett Field, there are 

domestic calls, Emergency Medical Service calls, putting a greater strain on our first 

responders. Our city agencies are already low on manpower. The State and City 

cannot house thousands and thousands of migrants in close quarters, basically like 

caged animals and think violence will not happen. Is this right? 

Again, the worse part are the children who are being used by the migrant parents 

to follow delivery trucks and steal packages from the truck and the communities 

stoops and area ways. Ringing door bells asking for money. Is this right? 

Our local stores have migrants coming in and grabbing products, causing some 

to lock their doors. Our local stores are struggling already from the aftermaths of 

Covid. Kings Plaza has become a place migrants run into and steal merchandise 

while community members are shopping. Is this right? 

The summer is coming, is it humane to leave the migrants on the tar mats in 

the blazing sun. For those of you who haven’t visited Floyd Bennett Field, prior to 

becoming a national park, was once New York City’s first airport. It serves as an 

incredible piece of history, but at its core, is an aviation base. 

The specific area where the migrants camp is set up is on an old historic runway. 

This is not the ideal place to house thousands of people for months or even longer. 

Violence happened during the winter months, never mind what will happen when 

the temperatures rise in the summer months. 

If our middle-class community sees how wrong and inhumane this is, I cannot 

understand how the rest of the world particularly officials from the City and State 

of New York are blind to this. 

I will end with ‘’ Things do not happen. Things are made to happen’’ John F. 

Kennedy 

Our State is making things happen that are not humane for anybody, if there is 

loss of life this year from violence or heat, the State and City of New York made 

it happen. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you very much for your comments. We are 

now going to go to Members’ questions. 

First, Mr. Tiffany from Wisconsin. 

Mr. TIFFANY. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

First of all, Mr. King, I want to say your question you pose is 

very good. Whose park is it next? Because I am concerned about 

the national lakeshore that we have in Wisconsin. Or is it going 

to be other national parks across our country that are going to be 

next? 

But I want to ask a question of Representative Williams. I see 

one of your statements here says, ‘‘without any input from the surrounding communities.’’ Is that correct, that the Federal Government didn’t come in and coordinate with local communities and ask 

them, ‘‘Is it OK to do this? How can we work out the logistics of 

making this happen?’’ 

Ms. WILLIAMS. There was absolutely no input, no communication 

whatsoever regarding Floyd Bennett Field to the residents of the 

Assembly District. 
24 

Mr. TIFFANY. Thank you. 

Ms. Fischer, do you think that the Federal Government should 

coordinate with local communities in situations like this, rather 

than leaving them shut out, as Representative Williams just said? 

Ms. FISCHER. I wholeheartedly agree. I think when we are able 

to ensure that community members, local governments, and people 

can come together to work through solutions, then that is obviously 

ideal. 

Mr. TIFFANY. So, you believe they should coordinate, right, Ms. 

Fischer? 

Ms. FISCHER. Yes, sir. 

Mr. TIFFANY. That they should coordinate. And you had referenced people fleeing violence and persecution in your testimony. 

Should we be allowing people to come into this country, we have 

had over 10 million, that are simply economic migrants? 

I have been to the border numerous times. I have been to 

Panama, down to the Darien Gap. Should people be allowed in as 

economic migrants? 

Ms. FISCHER. I think the data actually shows a little bit of a 

different story. Over three-quarters of the people that file for asylum eventually are able to stay in the United States due to the fact 

that they are able to win their asylum cases or find other forms 

of relief. So, this notion that people that are arriving here are 

coming for purely economic reasons is not based in fact. 

Mr. TIFFANY. The migrants that I actually talked to down on the 

border said, no, we just came here because the border was 

announced that it was open January 20, 2021. Do you believe they 

should be allowed in this country under our asylum laws? 

Ms. FISCHER. I have been to the border numbers of times. 

Mr. TIFFANY. Yes or no, should they be allowed in if they are 

simply economic migrants? 

Ms. FISCHER. Everyone has a human right to seek asylum. It is 

up to the immigration courts to determine whether or not someone 

has a valid claim. 

Mr. TIFFANY. I will take that as a yes. 

Is there anyone, Ms. Fischer, that should not be allowed into our 

country that wants to come into the United States from a foreign 

country? 

Ms. FISCHER. The United States has the ability to enforce its 

borders. Amnesty International does not tell any country whether 

or not they should or should not be able to enforce their borders. 

Mr. TIFFANY. So, there are some people that should be denied 

entry into our country. Is that what you are saying? 

Ms. FISCHER. That is the position of the United States to figure 

out themselves. That cannot come at the expense of the United 

States’ obligations to uphold the human right to seek asylum. 

Mr. TIFFANY. You talked about our obligation under international 

law. Do you believe international law trumps American law? 

Ms. FISCHER. No, sir, I do not, and that is why the United States 

has long established that seeking asylum is a human right under 

domestic law. In 1980, Congress passed the Refugee Act, which—— 

Mr. TIFFANY. But the law also says you have to prove that you 

are a refugee, correct? 
25 

Ms. FISCHER. No, sir. The law proves that people have the opportunity to seek asylum regardless of their manner of entry. And 

they have a process by which they are determined whether or not 

they have a way to stay. 

Mr. TIFFANY. Which is the process of proving whether—yes, so it 

does say that under the law. 

Is it humane to have Americans’ earnings reduced due to illegal 

immigrants coming to take their jobs? In the last jobs report, half 

of the jobs that are created here in America in this last jobs report 

are going to people who are here illegally. Is it humane to have 

Americans have their pay reduced as a result of the competition 

that is coming? 

Ms. FISCHER. There is actually no evidence that shows that 

immigration has an impact on wages. The United States—— 

Mr. TIFFANY. Actually, there is, Ms. Fischer. If you go back to the 

previous administration, the people on the lowest economic strata, 

their wages were actually going up significantly. 

I want to get just a couple of other questions in. Should 

taxpayers have to pay for food for the people you are referencing? 

Ms. FISCHER. What we know—— 

Mr. TIFFANY. Should taxpayers have to pay for shelter or rent for 

those people that are coming in? 

Ms. FISCHER. Those types of programs are significantly less 

costly than the programs that we have in the moment that are 

very—— 

Mr. TIFFANY. Should they have to pay for attorneys for these 

people? 

Ms. FISCHER. The right to counsel in court is a bedrock of our 

criminal justice system, and I believe it should be extended to 

those—— 

Mr. TIFFANY. So, should they have to pay for a gym membership? 

A person you are referencing, should they have to pay for a gym 

membership if someone requests it? 

Ms. FISCHER. I don’t think so, and I am not aware of any such 

program. 

Dr. GOSAR. The gentleman is out of time. We may go a second 

round. 

Mr. TIFFANY. Chairman, thank you very much for the time. 

Dr. GOSAR. You are very welcome. 

Mr. TIFFANY. I yield back. 

Dr. GOSAR. The gentlewoman from New Mexico is recognized. 

Ms. STANSBURY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

One quick note. We are getting some messages that folks are 

having trouble hearing. So, if you can speak up in the microphones, 

that would be helpful. 

First of all, I want to say I am very sensitive to the local 

concerns, so please don’t take the antagonism that you are seeing 

and hearing on the dais as in any way dismissive of the local community’s concerns about what you are experiencing. It is just about 

process. It is about how the resources of this Committee are used, 

the kinds of issues that are within the jurisdiction of this 

Committee, and what this Committee is actually tasked with. 

I do want to talk a little bit, since we are here to talk about 

immigration, and that is what the Committee leadership has 
26 

chosen to do to, to ask some follow-up questions. Ms. Fischer, I 

think it is really important for people to understand what is 

driving immigration on a global scale. We are seeing immigrants 

all across the world seeking asylum not only in the United States, 

but also across other countries in Europe and Asia. We have immigrants coming from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Turkey, many West 

African countries right now. Talk to us about what some of the 

driving factors are for these families that are trying to find asylum. 

Ms. FISCHER. Thank you so much for the question. 

As you noted, as of the end of September 2023, there were over 

114 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. I think it is important to note that over 76 percent of those people are actually 

hosted in low- and middle-income countries, not the United States. 

The people that are coming to the United States are mostly coming 

from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, 

Honduras, and Haiti, as you mentioned. 

In Venezuela, there is a lack of access to economic and social 

rights, and the majority of the population there is experiencing 

extreme food insecurity. Notably, critics of President Maduro’s 

government are arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, and tortured with the acquiescence of the judicial system. And Amnesty 

has documented that people that have been deported to Venezuela 

have faced arbitrary arrest. 

People come from all over. When I was most recently at the 

border, I had the opportunity of speaking to a group of Afghans 

who were seeking asylum. They were members of an ethnic minority group, women and students who were fleeing the Taliban rule. 

So, people really come with all different reasons to seek safety and 

exercise that human right. 

Ms. STANSBURY. Thank you. And I think that those examples are 

really important for people to understand. 

I represent New Mexico. And a lot of the rhetoric that we hear 

around here around immigration is every state is a border state. 

Well, New Mexico is an actual border state. And we have the 

opportunity, through our institutions and the various programs and 

services that are working with asylees, to hear their stories. Folks 

are coming from all over the world. And the journeys that they go 

on to arrive here are not unlike probably everyone in this room’s— 

unless you are Indigenous, or you are black, your journey to get 

here to the United States was probably not unlike the journeys of 

the people who are coming here today. They are traveling thousands of miles. They are putting their lives on the line. They are 

experiencing the most possible risks of violence, things that could 

happen to their families. 

And when I think about it, and really imagine my own ancestors, 

many of whom came to the United States in the 1850s at the 

height of the Irish potato famine, it is amazing to me when you sit 

in hearings like this, because, literally, the rhetoric that you are 

hearing here on the dais could be a hearing from 1850, because 

this is the same argument that people have been making about 

immigration, immigrants, the diminishing of people and their 

struggles, and whether or not they deserve to be here, the 

diminishing of their ethnicity, their culture, their language, the 

diminishing of whether or not it is appropriate for women and 
27 

children who are facing rape and political violence in their country 

to come to the United States. 

I mean, really, that is what this is. It is just a repeat. And it 

happens to be an incredibly potent issue politically right now 

during an election year. So, it is disturbing to hear, especially in 

a Committee like this, to be used in this way. 

But the other question I want to ask, and like I said, I don’t 

want to diminish the very serious issues that have been raised by 

our local officials and community residents, and I know we are 

going to do a second round, so I will save my questions about this, 

is how we can help create a more orderly situation through bipartisan immigration reform, and to make sure that we can address 

these local concerns for communities that are receiving large numbers of immigrants. 

And with that, I will yield back and hold for the second round. 

Dr. GOSAR. I thank the gentlelady from New Mexico. The 

gentleman from the great state of Arkansas, the Chair of the Full 

Committee, Mr. Westerman, is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. Thank you, Chairman Gosar, and thank you to 

the witnesses for being here today. 

And I would like to talk a bit more about how this process of 

leasing national park land for a migrant camp circumvented the 

rules for political purposes. This is something that we have seen 

time and time again from the Biden administration. If you read the 

lease signed between the National Park Service and the City of 

New York, it correctly identifies Floyd Bennett Field as historic 

property. 

Now, here is where things get interesting. Instead of the typical 

Section 106 process, which often involves an extensive review 

process, it appears it has been waived. Rather, the lease refers to 

a memo signed by Director Sams that notes that the city will make 

upgrades and improvements to the historic area once the lease 

expires. 

Now, this is an interesting turn of events. Essentially, there is 

no guarantee that either construction nor the existence of the 

migrant camp will not endanger the historic area, something that 

would generally be required. Instead, the Park Service is accepting 

a promise of future payments for improvements to the area. 

Basically, they are accepting a payoff for the lease. 

I would like to know more if this is the norm for the Biden 

administration these days. But those decision makers don’t always 

want to answer questions in a public setting. I am adding both a 

copy of the lease agreement and memo for the record. 

Now, to get to my question, in a typical process a lease for 

historic property on Federal land would involve some level of public 

engagement. So, Ms. Williams, to your knowledge, did the National 

Park Service or any other Federal agency consult and coordinate 

with any historic preservation office or council before leasing 

historic Floyd Bennett Field to be used as a migrant camp? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. To answer your question, which was similar to an 

earlier question, there was no communication with us or the residents of South Brooklyn and Queens, or any type of historic entity 

whatsoever. 
28 

Mr. WESTERMAN. Did the National Park Service or any other 

Federal agency transparently provide the public information about 

how establishing a migrant encampment would impact Floyd 

Bennett Field’s historic property? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Absolutely none. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. And did the Park Service or any other Federal 

agency seek public comment or even input from local elected 

officials prior to signing the lease with the city? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Negative. There was no such communication at 

any time. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. So, they basically just ramrodded this through 

and sidestepped any kind of normal process. 

And I can tell you I know the answer to that because they did, 

and that is why we continually bring this subject up is because, if 

they will do this at Floyd Bennett Field, where else will they do 

it? 

And an Administration that talks about protecting public assets, 

protecting the environment, never wavering on any kind of environmental permitting, it seems ironic that they would just magically wave the magic baton, which essentially has to come from 

President Biden at that level, and what it looks like they did was 

declared an emergency so they could waive all permitting, public 

input, and review processes to push this agenda and to provide this 

migrant camp on Federal land. 

I can tell you, when this Congress started, this was the furthest 

thing from my mind that this Committee would have to deal with, 

that this Administration would go onto Park Service land, waive 

every rule, and build a migrant camp. Can you describe how 

shocking that was to you, being a resident? I mean, was this something you ever expected to happen? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Definitely, no. And to the bigger picture, I do 

represent 137,000-plus people in my district, and I did have to 

answer to them. So, with not having that communication, it was 

very disrespectful to our residents, to our community. 

And we know what is happening. It is a national crisis, and we 

understand that. But when there is lack of communication, what 

we are seeing right now, when we were here before 9 months ago, 

we are seeing that our community, South Brooklyn and Queens, 

have become benefactors of a national crisis. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. And have you had any communication with the 

Federal agencies on whether they will renew the lease in 

September? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, that is why we are here, to plead before you, 

and we will continue to do so, asking them to please not renew that 

lease because, if we want to think of a more dignified, humane way 

where these people can have a life, and not be able to live in such 

an area. 

And we can compare this to Orchard Beach, that was in the 

Bronx, right? The tents were put up, it was susceptible to flooding, 

lack of access to transportation. This is no different from Floyd 

Bennett Field. And they did remove those tents. So, we need to 

treat people with some type of dignity. Thank you. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. And the point being, Representative, is that 

you are asking, but they are not making any outreach to you to 
29 

give you assurances, or to answer questions, or tell you what their 

plans are. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. There is no transparency. 

Mr. WESTERMAN. Thank you very much. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. You are welcome. 

Dr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Montana 

is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. ROSENDALE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I heard this 

microphone is a little bit light, so I will try and keep it up. 

Dr. GOSAR. Eat it. 

Mr. ROSENDALE. Eat it? OK. Thanks, yes. 

Just to start off, I am always amused by the references to the 

immigration that took place in our country from the late 1800s to 

the early 1900s, which never, when our colleagues are talking 

about it, never mentions the requirement that these immigrants 

had to have sponsorship from citizens here in our country, and the 

fact that they were not provided with this incredibly large social 

safety net of Federal support that costs the taxpayers across this 

country somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 to $500 billion a 

year, which we can’t even keep track of because so much of this 

money is being laundered through non-governmental organizations. 

Chairman Gosar, I appreciate you having this hearing today. 

And the impact of President Biden’s border policies extends far 

beyond the border regions, now affecting our cherished national 

parks. Just last week, we discussed the harms inflicted upon 

Montana’s tribal lands. But it is not just the tribes that are being 

affected, it is the entire West, and the natural beauty that our 

parks and our countries hold most sacred. 

President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and their entire Administration have no interest in border security. We have long since 

established that. We have seen what this Administration and their 

allies in New York have done by allowing illegal aliens to reside 

on Floyd Bennett Field, turning a once beautiful park into a Third 

World slum. These destructive policies are not only affecting 

Americans’ park access and enjoyment, but also local communities 

and farmers are being harmed by uncontrolled immigration, as 

evidenced by Bozeman, Montana, a 29 percent increase in felony 

cases over the past year, and that is attributed directly to the 

illegal immigration that is taking place on the southern border. 

Additionally, fentanyl seizures by Montana Highway Patrol have 

increased from 188,823 doses in 2022 to a staggering 398,522 doses 

in 2023, resulting in the loss of 80 Montanans to fentanyl in 2023. 

So, this crisis is touching the entire country. 

We must secure the border and protect the lives of our citizens. 

If we had a tally of death and destruction to the tune of 75,000 to 

90,000 people a year that was being caused by gunmen coming 

across the border, we would attack that country. But meanwhile, 

we allow it to sit wide open because it is the southern border and 

fentanyl coming across. 

Furthermore, the northern border must not be forgotten. U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection reported that Fiscal Year 2023 saw 

189,000 northern land border encounters, which is a 73 percent 

increase from 2022, and a 597 percent increase from 2021. 
30 

We have established again that the cartels, once they find out 

where the pressure is being applied, they adapt, they change, and 

they start utilizing different tactics. And that is what we are seeing 

take place right now on the northern border. This issue is especially critical as Montana’s Glacier National Park lies on the border 

between the United States and Canada. President Biden and his 

Administration must provide real solutions for our border, and help 

preserve the safety and beauty of our nation and its parks. 

You folks are dealing with this directly. Ms. Williams, when you 

talk to fellow Assembly members, do they share the same concerns 

that you do, or are you just an isolated outlier? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, you are absolutely right. Very few share 

this same concern that I have and a few other elected City Council 

members. And that is why we are here today to bring light to what 

our communities are facing before you. 

Mr. ROSENDALE. OK. So, we are going to start talking to the 

communities then. 

Mr. King, as a long-time community leader in New York, has 

there ever been a time in your life where you have seen New York 

local government be so indifferent towards the interests of their 

taxpaying citizens and the communities in which they are supposed 

to protect? 

Mr. KING. It is pretty rare. I think there are times when they 

are desperate to move problems out of Manhattan and into the 

outer boroughs. We all experience that. But this was egregious. 

Mr. ROSENDALE. So, on the grassroots level, what have you seen 

regarding the outcry related to the usage of Floyd Bennett Field 

and the extreme costs the city is undertaking to house these 

illegals? 

Mr. KING. Well, taxpayers in general don’t like the amount of 

money that is being spent, essentially $1,200 a cot per month and 

everything that goes with that, but I think people are more concerned about the elements that Ms. Williams was talking about, 

the impact on the community, the degradation of the park, and the 

lessening ability of our families to use the park. 

Mr. ROSENDALE. And I can tell you, as a member of the House 

Veterans Affairs Committee, I wish that this Administration was 

as concerned about caring for our veterans as they are for caring 

and spending the money and the investment on the illegal aliens 

that we are seeing now. 

Mr. Chair, I see now over in the corner of my eye the clock, that 

I have exceeded my time, so I yield back. 

Dr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman from Texas, 

Mr. Hunt, is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Mr. HUNT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. Williams, are you a Democrat? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Yes, I am. 

Mr. HUNT. It is safe to say that you and I probably don’t agree 

on a whole host of policy issues, but I think that we could clearly 

see that the Biden administration, Governor Hochul, and Mayor 

Adams’ actions have resulted in the destruction of our national 

borders and your national park, ma’am. 

Texas, where I am born and raised and from and represent, 

begged the Federal Government to end its destructive policies 2 
31 

years before illegal aliens arrived in New York in the large numbers that you are seeing today. Those pleas fell on deaf ears. The 

issue rose to such a level that Texas took it upon itself to fulfill 

the Federal Government’s role in defending our nation’s border and 

the citizens of this great nation. Again, this is our job, not 

Governor Abbott’s job. 

What was our reward? We were sued by Biden’s DOJ. So, even 

when we tried to defend our borders and enforce laws already on 

the books, we were stymied. 

You have testified today that local residents are concerned that 

these issues are being ignored daily, and local residents repeatedly 

sought answers for simple questions concerning the potential rise 

in crime near Floyd Bennett Field. And those concerns, as you have 

articulated, fell on deaf ears. 

Our national parks are the treasures of this country, and show 

the awe-inspiring landscape that God has granted the greatest 

country in the world. They should never be used as shelters to 

house thousands of Biden’s illegal immigrants. 

Ms. Morrissey, thank you again for being here, and thank you for 

your service to the City of New York. As a career law enforcement 

official, what are some of the problems New York leadership should 

have expected when they moved 2,000 people into Floyd Bennett 

Field? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Thank you for asking that question. 

First, I just want to add that I am not here to politicize political 

affiliations because I won’t be here if I did think like that. I am 

here to represent my community and this problem that we have. 

So, if we go back to before the migrants came to Floyd Bennett 

Field, if there was a sit-down conversation with all the elected officials, from the governor, to the mayor, and to the specific site 

which covers South Brooklyn, my district, and also South Queens, 

we could probably have come up with a better solution. Instead, it 

was just one or two individuals that made that decision, leaving 

out other local electeds at the table without any answers for their 

community. 

And that is the problem, because we told them from Day 1 it is 

a flood zone area. There is no infrastructure, there is a lack of 

transportation, and the open elements, it is just not good. And we 

are talking about families, we are not talking about single men. We 

are talking about families that are housed in the middle of Floyd 

Bennett Field. 

Next week, we are going into extreme heat weather. So, just 

think of having a 10 or 15 minute walk from there to wait for the 

bus to then go to a supermarket that is 5 miles away, right? 

We know that the lease is coming up for renewal, and these are 

the same things that we are bringing back to the table because it 

hasn’t changed. It has not changed. 

And I understand they are here for the American dream, but at 

the same time we need to do the background checks, vet these individuals or these families so then they can move to the next step. 

Thank you. 

Mr. HUNT. Of course. And again, I applaud that. This is not a 

political issue. I mean, we are on Capitol Hill, so this is politics, 

ma’am, but this is an American issue. This is something that we 
32 

could all come together to agree upon, that those are the minimum 

things that we should have done in advance to move into the field. 

And one more follow-up question for you, ma’am. Prior to your 

public service you earned a master’s degree in social work, and 

practiced in that field for more than 8 years. I thank you for your 

continued service. Falling back on your experience as a social 

worker and your professional opinion, what ramifications will the 

policies of the Biden administration, Governor Hochul, and Mayor 

Adams—what will it have on the next generation of New Yorkers, 

given your history and your field? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, I think there may be some trauma that is 

going to be included here with what is happening with the children 

being able to live in such conditions, with everything that is going 

on. I feel as though we have to do better. And where does it stop? 

Where does it stop? 

Mr. HUNT. Thank you very much. I am out of time. But again, 

this is not a political issue. This is an American issue. And I 

applaud you for standing up, even though it might be against 

stream for what your colleagues might think. Thank you very much 

for being here. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. You are welcome. 

Dr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from Texas. The gentlewoman 

from Virginia is next. 

You are up for 5 minutes, Mrs. Kiggans. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I apologize for being 

late. I was in a meeting with the Secretary of Public Safety and 

Homeland Security from Virginia, who was in my office just talking 

about the rise in fentanyl, the rise in terrorist activities, especially 

at our bases, which—Virginia is home to so many of just our 

national security interests in the form of the military. 

So, listening to his concerns, and he made that trip to Congress 

to plead with me, what can be done about Virginia, we are not a 

border state, but we are such a border state right now, as every 

state in the country is. And I don’t sit on this Subcommittee normally, but received permission to be here because it is an issue 

that I care so much about, and was in the whole Natural Resources 

Committee meeting when we talked about this, and we talked 

about the living conditions for the immigrants that are homed in 

these national parks, and I think my colleagues have done a great 

job just of describing why this is not acceptable and not conditions 

that we can continue. 

But I wanted to start with Ms. Williams. Can you first tell me 

how many families, or maybe just how many people are living at 

Floyd Bennett Field right now? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Approximately 2,000. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. OK. And what do those families, especially the 

children, it is summertime now. What do they do during the day? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, the summer is now approaching, but what 

I have seen firsthand during school hours in front of our CVS, local 

supermarkets, we would have a few families sit there with their 

children with signs and, which is even more horrific, stand in the 

middle of traffic on the medians, sometimes with babies strapped 

to their backs and toddlers or other school-aged children. They are 

going into traffic, trying to sell chocolate bars, or mangoes and 
33 

such, which is just quite dangerous. And we really don’t need something severe to happen because I just don’t know who will take 

responsibility for that. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. So, you have seen an increase just in begging, and 

peddlers on the streets, then, for sure. And it sounds like unsafe 

conditions—— 

Ms. WILLIAMS. And door-knocking at all times, all hours of the 

night, as well. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Thank you just for being here, and for telling 

those of us who sit in Congress about exactly what is going on. It 

really sounds like the Biden administration is just not listening to 

you all, not doing right to your community. 

But you and your constituents are living in the aftermath of this 

decision to build the migrant camp at Floyd Bennett Field. Since 

the camp opened, has the City of New York been willing to work 

with you at all about next steps, meaning the plans to close the 

camp after the lease expires in September? Are they not including 

you in the discussion? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. I would wish that they would include me. As a 

matter of fact, I am not treated as such because I have decided to 

move forward on this platform. The communication is not transparent, and it is always kind of blocked. I am not allowed to go into 

Floyd Bennett Field without advance notice, so it is a little bit 

challenging. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Is there any form of communication that you can 

tell your concerns to the city? Can you write letters? Or what is 

your form of communication with them? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Of course, we have written letters. We have sent 

e-mails. We have done FOIA requests, a plethora of different 

things. And, again, just very little communication is given back. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Who do you write the letters to? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Our governor, Kathy Hochul, our mayor, Mayor 

Eric Adams. Also OEM and other electeds, as well, just to loop 

them in as to where we are going. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. So, you can safely say that you feel like your 

needs are not being heard. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Absolutely, our needs are not being heard or met. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Thank you. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Hence why we are here. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. And Mr. King and Ms. Morrissey, both of you, I 

would like to hear how you would characterize New York City’s 

response to the ongoing migrant crisis. 

And I will start with you, Mr. King. 

Mr. KING. Well, as a civic leader, I find that we are very 

detached from what is going on. We have an excellent City Council 

Representative, but that is not where the decisions are being made. 

They are being pushed either from Albany and the Governor’s 

office or from Gracie Mansion, and they are generally unresponsive 

to the needs of the community or try to downplay the impacts on 

the community because they just don’t know what to do. 

Again, I believe that part of the reason they are in Floyd Bennett 

Field is that they don’t want these problems on the streets in 

Manhattan, where they can be seen. So, tuck them into our parks 

near our neighborhoods. And we are feeling the impacts, but there 
34 

is no responsiveness from New York City itself, from the 

government. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Is that why they chose that location of Floyd 

Bennett Field, because it is out of the way—— 

Mr. KING. Well, as someone who lives in the outer boroughs, I 

think that is always our suspicion, that if there is a problem in 

Manhattan, people they don’t want to be in the streets of 

Manhattan, they will find a way to put them in the edges of 

Brooklyn and Queens, and without services to support them 

usually. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. And I understand that you have experienced 

negotiating a lease with the National Park Service on behalf of 

Rockaway Little League to allow children to play baseball at 

Gateway National Recreation Area, of which Floyd Bennett Field 

is a part. Is this correct? 

Mr. KING. That is correct. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. And can you describe your experience trying to 

secure opportunities for the children of Rockaway Little League to 

play at Gateway? 

Mr. KING. I would love to, yes. I mean, we might be the only 

little league that actually is on Federal land. We built the fields, 

and after so many years they said, oh, you need a lease to be there. 

And that was quite contentious in the beginning, but we made the 

case that youth sports is part of your mission. And if we are 

bringing children into the park, we could be educating them, 

bringing them in. And we were told, well, that is not part of our 

vision or our plan for the park. 

But we got our lease, and we are still there. They would like to 

move us out. But more recently one of the local soccer leagues, 

which also brings hundreds of kids into the park, wanted to make 

investments and upgrades, but they wanted to lease, and they were 

told, no, youth sports is not part of our vision or our plan for the 

park. And, obviously, folks in our area are shocked that youth 

sports doesn’t belong in a recreation area, but a migrant camp 

does. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. Wow. There are no words. They have denied 

leases to sports leagues that wanted to use the recreational area 

land and make improvements? You mentioned the soccer league. 

Mr. KING. That is correct. The Youth Soccer League was—— 

Dr. GOSAR. The gentlelady is out of time. 

Mrs. KIGGANS. OK. My time is expired. Thank you very much. 

Dr. GOSAR. I appreciate it. Well, you got really into it, so thank 

you very, very much. The gentlelady from New York, Ms. 

Malliotakis, is recognized for 5 minutes. 

Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. I want to thank you all for being here today. 

I very much appreciate you coming once again, particularly, my 

colleague from New York, Assemblywoman Williams. We are from 

different parties, but common sense is common sense. And this is 

an issue of public safety for the people of Brooklyn, of Queens, of 

Staten Island, Bronx, and Manhattan. 

And we, as you know, Mr. Chairman, know that we have roughly 

200,000 migrants in New York City. We don’t know the exact number because the city shields this information from us. What we do 

know is just last week a Venezuelan migrant, who is a known gang 
35 

member, shot two NYPD officers. In fact, it happened in the district of somebody in this Committee. This person crossed into this 

country illegally from Texas in July, and his asylum case was dismissed by a Chicago court, and he has been living at a migrant 

shelter in New York City in Queens. 

It is completely outrageous that we have a policy in place by this 

Administration allowing people who are gang members, drug 

traffickers, criminals to enter into our country. And then on top of 

it, you are asking the residents of New York, the hardworking taxpayers, to pay for them to be housed in their communities, living 

free. They are living in these shelters. Some of them are luxury 

hotels that have turned into shelters. Some are national parks that 

have been turned into shelters, as is the issue that we are discussing today, Floyd Bennett Field. 

I want to highlight some of the concerns from the media, from 

individuals that have spoken to the media about spikes in robberies, that there have been arrests, crimes, concerns. We know 

that there has been panhandling, shoplifting. As a matter of fact, 

I pulled up some of the stats for the precinct in which Floyd 

Bennett Field is, and robbery is up over last year 35 percent. Car 

thefts are up 51 percent. Larceny up 29, to nearly 30 percent. 

Retail theft, which is a concern that the Assemblywoman expressed 

to me, up 60 percent. And then you have assaults that are up 

roughly 50 percent, hate crimes up 500 percent. 

My first question is to the Assemblywoman, because I have had 

a hard time getting the actual statistics of people who are committing crimes that reside in the shelters. We know there were thousands of arrests, we know that much because some of the media 

finally got to the numbers. 

Do you have any of that information, or is the city stonewalling 

you, as well? Because I put in a FOIA request to get this data 

when I found out that there were thousands of arrests already 

made of migrants living in our city, and then, when we saw the 

police officers being assaulted in Times Square, shot in Queens, 

multiple stabbings that have resulted in death, all right, that is 

what is happening in the media. Do you have the stats? Because 

the city won’t allow them to cooperate with ICE to deport criminals, has the Mayor’s office allowed the NYPD to give your office 

that information? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Well, back in January we did submit a FOIA 

request. We did get a response a week ago, and there was no information for them to give to us. But I do know for a fact there was 

a call on a strangulation that occurred at Floyd Bennett Field. 

There were some other issues, and those types of crimes are not 

being made available to the public, and not even NYPD in some 

cases can enter the tents. So, you have security guards making 

decisions on what they deem is a criminal activity, which is just 

madness. 

Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. So, we all know that crime is taking place at 

these shelters because we are reading about it regularly in the 

newspapers, right? We are just trying to get a hold of those statistics. And I myself have also been stonewalled, unfortunately, by the 

city. I put in my own FOIA request after a letter I sent in October 

was ignored. In January, I sent in a FOIA request, said that I was 
36 

going to get the information in May and then, guess what? In May, 

they told me now August. So, they too are being very disingenuous 

with the public. 

Mr. King, you are from that area. Could you talk a little bit 

about the concerns of some of the residents that you live with? 

And can you also maybe talk about the taxpayers’ concerns about 

having this national park being taken away from them, and the 

cost that this is coming to the City of New York, where you are 

seeing services cut for the hardworking citizens? 

Mr. KING. Well, I think across not just Rockaway, but all across 

Brooklyn and Queens, people are upset because we have a lot of 

hurting citizens. And now, all of a sudden, we have services getting 

cut because the money has to come from somewhere. And they are 

paying an exorbitant amount of money, $28.8 million or $27.8 

million to set this up. 

But we definitely see negative effects in our community, as well. 

With summer coming, we will have more of the problems. We said 

in the beginning, we were afraid this would be a humanitarian 

crisis in the park that will spill into the neighborhoods. Now that 

summer is coming, that is going to be spilling more aggressively 

into Rockaway. And it is an area where we have very little police 

protection, we have very little services of any sorts, so it is a recipe 

for bad things to happen. 

Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Right. My time is expired. I don’t know if we 

are going to be able to do another round, but I did have more 

questions. 

Dr. GOSAR. Well, we can, but we can always submit those for the 

record. I am going to recognize myself for 5 minutes. 

Ms. Morrissey, just yesterday we heard alarming reports that 

eight suspected migrant terrorists with possible ties to ISIS were 

arrested as part of a sting operation in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, 

and, more notably, your New York City. According to the sources 

and the reporting, ‘‘all eight men crossed through the southern 

border into the United States and their criminal background checks 

came back clean when they crossed.’’ One even used the CBP One 

app, which the Biden administration created to allow migrants to 

book appointments to claim asylum and enter our country. 

According to sources, ‘‘Part of the investigation featured a wiretap which revealed one of the now arrested individuals talking 

about bombs.’’ One of the sources stated, ‘‘Remember the Boston 

Marathon? I am afraid something like that might happen again, or 

worse.’’ 

To your understanding, is there a screening process or background check in place for the Fort Bennett Field migrant camp to 

ensure that certain migrants are not threats to the surrounding 

communities? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. No, sir. There is nothing. 

Dr. GOSAR. None whatsoever? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. Nothing that I know of, no. 

Dr. GOSAR. Ms. Williams, I know that when I was up there, it 

was going to be a man camp. Now, I understand it is families, 

right? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Correct. 
37 

Dr. GOSAR. In some ways I would say that is a little better, 

because you have all these children, all these youth activities out 

there, hockey, baseball, all those things. Right? I am from 

Wyoming, and they had oil and gas man camps. And I know they 

are not really all that fun, but I think women and children might 

be a little better. However, tarmac gets hot and radiates heat, does 

it not? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. It does, very much so, especially Floyd Bennett 

Field. 

Dr. GOSAR. Wow. It doesn’t take very much of a resource to know 

that a child can be dehydrated instantaneously almost, right? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Especially walking from that tent to get the bus 

service off of Flatbush can be excruciating. 

Dr. GOSAR. Ms. Morrissey, does it concern you, the proximity of 

this camp to so many in your communities and to your police 

department’s response time? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. Yes, it does concern me because, if you read in 

the newspapers and see that our police resources are at low manpower already, and having all these additional forces, all the 

migrants coming in, it is going to be a huge strain on our first 

responders. 

And being a retired NYPD lieutenant, I also feel that from actually working at that base, aviation, there is also a police site there. 

It is an emergency service site that our police officers come out. 

Besides the concern of the crime and the heat from actually doing 

RMP training there, that tarmac gets very, very hot. I know that 

for a fact. It is very hot on that. 

And as for crime, we are maxed out. There are not enough officers citywide, never mind in the smaller commands. So, it is a 

great concern. 

Dr. GOSAR. Well, even the police may have some advantages or 

disadvantages, but it is a legal system that just puts them back out 

on the field. They create a bigger problem for you. 

I know something about heat. In fact, my friend, Andy Biggs, 

and I were on a tarmac in Phoenix. And I know Phoenix gets a 

little hotter than New York, but probably not much. All of a sudden, we heard this ping, ping, ping. What it was was his shoes 

were falling apart. They were shooting off the plastic. They got so 

hot they just shot off. That is pretty impressive when you are 

talking about heat. Very hot. 

Ms. Williams, go ahead. 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Mr. Chairman, can I just add? I mean, these are 

such valid points, and Floyd Bennett Field is 4 miles away from 

Kings Plaza Mall that is open to the public. And we have seen in 

the last few months, especially during the holiday time, so many 

families in there panhandling, making it a very uncomfortable situation, playing at the heartstrings of families, and so forth. And as 

a parent myself, it was very difficult to see that. 

But as the weather gets warmer, as well, I mean, we can’t even 

imagine how such a public place will be filled with so many individuals seeking probably a warmer place to relax. 

Dr. GOSAR. Yes, well, what we are going to do is go to the gentleman from New York, and then the Ranking Member and then 
38 

I am going to ask you one more last question instead of doing a 

second round. 

I will just wait. How about that? We will just go to Mr. 

D’Esposito for 5 minutes from New York. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the 

Committee for allowing me to waive on. 

Ms. Fischer, I would like to direct my first line of questioning to 

you. In your summary of your opening statement, in the second 

paragraph, it says, ‘‘Amnesty International is a Nobel Prizewinning global human rights organization committed to fighting for 

the human rights of all people, no matter where they are or where 

they are from.’’ 

The third paragraph says, ‘‘Our vision is of a world in which 

every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international 

human rights instruments.’’ It sounds very promising. 

My question to you is, do you think that what is happening right 

now in the United States of America under the failed policies of Joe 

Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, do you believe that it is the responsibility of Americans, do you believe that it is the responsibility of 

New Yorkers to foot the bill of individuals coming into this country 

illegally? 

Ms. FISCHER. Thank you so much for that question. I think what 

we have seen is actually decades of failed policies that have 

invested billions of dollars. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. With all due respect, I only have 5 minutes, and 

we are not going to talk about the years and decades of failed 

immigration policy. What we are going to talk about today are the 

failed policies, the border security failed policies of Joe Biden. 

So, my question is very simple. It is a yes-or-no question. Do you 

believe that the American people, do you believe that New Yorkers 

should foot the bill for people coming into this country illegally? 

Ms. FISCHER. Seeking asylum is a right under U.S. law. So, I 

think the question is a little bit flawed, but what I am suggesting 

is that—— 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. It is not flawed, because seeking asylum, coming 

into this country and seeking asylum is when you do it the correct 

and legal way. 

Ms. FISCHER. The U.S. law allows for people to seek asylum, 

regardless of their—— 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. When people cross our borders—— 

Mr. FISCHER [continuing]. Manner of entry, and the—— 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. I will reclaim my time. When people cross 

borders, and they come here illegally and, more importantly, 

specific to what we are talking about today, when they come here 

and commit crimes, and then they are released—well, that is not 

the failed policies of Joe Biden, it is the failed policies of Governor 

Hochul in New York State—they commit crimes and they are 

released to commit more crimes. 

What we are talking about today is Floyd Bennett Field. Have 

you ever visited Floyd Bennett Field? 

Ms. FISCHER. No, sir, I have not. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. Well, I will tell you that in your opening statement that you submitted, your vision is of a world in which every 
39 

person enjoys all the human rights enshrined in the Universal 

Declaration. I will tell you that, having worked as an NYPD detective for over 16 years and visited Floyd Bennett Field many times, 

as someone who has spent his entire life living in New York City 

and traveled in and out of JFK airport routinely, I will tell you two 

things. 

First, Floyd Bennett Field and JFK Airport, neither one of them 

is a world in which you enjoy human rights. People living in an 

empty warehouse at JFK Airport, that is not the human rights that 

they risked their life to come here for. 

Ms. FISCHER. I wholeheartedly agree with that. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. At Floyd Bennett Field, which is in close proximity to not only military operations, but special operations of the 

New York City Police Department, not only is that not where they 

should be living, but it is also not safe. 

Ms. FISCHER. I agree with that statement. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. And that is just mind boggling, that we continue 

to allow people into this country illegally, and then we, the United 

States of America and the people who pay taxes, have to foot the 

bill for them to come here to not only live and eat and have cell 

phones, I mean, we have heard stories of people coming across the 

southern border. The moment that they cross over and they touch 

base with asylum, they are on their phone getting an Uber to wherever they want to go. Literally, there have been Ubers that sit on 

the southern border, waiting to take people places. 

My next line of questioning, I only have a minute left, is to Ms. 

Morrissey. 

First of all, thank you for your service to the NYPD. We are both 

retired. Obviously, we know what it takes to keep people safe and 

protect our communities. These are disastrous policies. And as the 

summer approaches, where we see crime skyrocket, because that is 

what happens, when it gets nicer out there are more crimes that 

are committed—do you believe that the migrants committing 

crimes now surrounding Floyd Bennett Field will contribute to the 

summer crime season? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. Absolutely, because the heat and living in close 

proximity to each other in a very hot tent is going to cause violence 

with themselves and their surrounding neighborhoods, including 

everyone. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. And I would assume you, Mr. King, Ms. 

Williams, and others have expressed these concerns, correct? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. Yes. 

Mr. D’ESPOSITO. I really do hope they are heard, because the 

American people are paying the price for the Biden border crisis. 

And it is a shame. 

With that, my time has expired, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 

Dr. GOSAR. I thank the gentleman from New York. The gentlewoman from New Mexico is recognized for her 5 minutes. 

We are going to ask one round. She is going to ask one question. 

Ms. STANSBURY. All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

These House Natural Resources Committee hearings are always 

an interesting fever dream, and I welcome my colleagues from New 

York to the House Natural Resources Committee. This is not a City 

Council meeting for New York City. This is not a State Assembly 
40 

hearing in the New York State Assembly. And this is also not a 

committee that has jurisdiction over immigration or international 

affairs. We are here because we have stewardship over our lands, 

waters, and wildlife. 

And there has been a lot of strange misinformation provided here 

today, but one thing that I do think is helpful for the public to 

know is that part of the role and responsibility of Members of 

Congress is to serve their communities, to do casework. And we 

had three Members of New York’s delegation here today. 

Please follow up with your Members of Congress. They can help 

facilitate conversations with our Federal agencies. That is our job. 

That is actually why we are here. So, we don’t need to have fake 

hearings that are about political issues. It is really about just facilitating those kind of conversations. 

I do want to correct the record on a few things, and then I will 

turn it over for a quick question. 

First of all, there was a comment made about veterans. We have 

had the largest expansion of veterans benefits ever in American 

history in the last Congress, with the passing of the PACT Act and 

the eligibility of 3 million more veterans to qualify for that. 

There has been a lot of misinformation about how immigration 

and asylum works. Most of the people who are currently being 

housed in various places by the places where they are being 

received have already been screened at the border. In fact, that is 

our policy, and they have been screened to be safe. 

Of course, there is always violence that occurs in our communities, but they also are awaiting asylum hearings in the asylum 

system. And if our friends across the aisle would like to fix the 

immigration system, fund our programs and pass bipartisan immigration reform and work on these issues. Don’t hold political 

hearings, but actually get to work on the issues that the American 

people care about and that are impacting so clearly our 

communities. 

But Assemblywoman, I really appreciated some of the comments 

you made earlier about humane solutions and about collaboration, 

and I understand very much the challenge of working with the 

Federal bureaucracy. All of our communities struggle with it. And 

certainly, we are committed to helping support and work out issues 

so that there is better coordination. But we don’t have jurisdiction 

over the state or the city here. 

But because we are here talking about immigration, about what 

to do with the populations who are here in our communities, I want 

to start with Ms. Fischer, and then I would love to ask Ms. 

Williams, as well. 

What do you see as being some of the ways in which we can fix 

the existing systems to help get people through the asylum system 

faster to more humanely house people, to make sure that families 

are safe in the spaces where they are living in the interim, and to 

make sure that our communities have a say in the process? 

I will start with Ms. Fischer and then turn to Ms. Williams. 

Ms. FISCHER. Thank you so much for that question. I think that 

answer actually starts here with Federal coordination. It is really 

not feasible for just one or two cities, like New York and Chicago, 

to receive such high numbers of new arrivals. With Federal coordi-
41 

nation, we can ensure that new arrivals that do not already have 

ties to the United States have the opportunity to go places that are 

facing labor shortages, population decline, and can benefit from a 

boost of new workers. 

People also need the ability to work. Asylum seekers are only 

able to receive work permits once their asylum applications have 

been pending for 6 months. That needs to be sped up. If we take 

the example of Carla, who I spoke about in my opening statement, 

it took her months of doing the hair and nails of people in her 

shelter to save up the thousands of dollars she needed to pay for 

an immigration attorney to then file for asylum, and then start the 

clock to wait the 6 months for her work permit, which obviously 

delayed their ability to move out of shelters and into independence. 

And, again, what we need is a system that provides people the 

ability to come here safely, in a dignified manner, and support 

services to help them navigate their cases in immigration court. 

These solutions have not only proven to be more effective at 

helping people comply with their immigration requirements, they 

also will save taxpayers’ dollars and bolster local economies. 

Ms. STANSBURY. OK, Assemblywoman Williams, again, the question is really, for individuals that are already here and that do 

need housing, how can there be better collaboration and support for 

the communities that are hosting these folks and helping to make 

sure that there are safe and humane environments for folks to 

start their next chapter? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Thank you. There definitely has to be a dialogue 

with all the electeds at the table. That is a start in the right direction for a better solution, No. 1, that opportunity was not given to 

us 9 months ago, so moving forward. 

And the best thing we can do for those families at Floyd Bennett 

Field is not to renew the lease and try to do something better, 

whether it is open up the rest of the state, have them vetted much 

quicker, because we know for sure that not everyone who is 

seeking asylum is going to be granted that status. 

And I just want to piggyback a little bit when we talk about the 

vetting process and it is done at the border. Well, I really wondered 

what happened with the eight individuals that were arrested, 

didn’t they go through that vetting process, too? Because for us in 

South Brooklyn, we do have a shopping mall that thousands and 

thousands of people visit every day. And God forbid, something 

crazy had happened, how that could have been a place of an attack 

or something. 

So, we have to do better, but everyone has to be at the table. It 

can’t be a one-way conversation, and then the local electeds are left 

in the dark to answer to their constituents, because most times the 

local electeds have more interaction with their local constituency. 

Ms. STANSBURY. Thank you, Madam Assemblywoman. And it is 

unfortunate that your Members of Congress left before they could 

hear that. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Dr. GOSAR. You are certainly welcome. 

First of all, I wanted to address the jurisdictional issue. This is 

the Oversight Committee of Natural Resources. That means everything is on the table, whether it be national parks, whether it be 
42 

public lands, whether it be minerals and oil and gas. It all is part 

of our jurisdiction. 

Now, carefully, I am going to ask you each what was the question you were prepared to hear, didn’t hear, and what is the 

answer to that question? 

We will start with you, Ms. Williams. What was the question you 

were prepared to answer, it wasn’t asked, and what was its 

answer? 

Ms. WILLIAMS. Many questions were asked, but one of the things 

we spoke about is the summer months coming up, and that is going 

to be very, very excruciating with the heat. And how are those 

tents going to be cooled down? They are going to be run by generators that use diesel, and that is going to be running 24 hours a day 

for the entire summertime. 

We are talking about the pollution. We are talking about so 

many different things. When you think about the climate aspect, 

quality of air and so forth, it is just not good for the families 

because we have seen children playing soccer outside of the tents, 

and those generators going 24 hours a day, letting out those fumes. 

How is that impacting the families or the children that are playing 

soccer or using their scooters right outside the premise of the tent? 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you. 

You are next. 

Mr. KING. Yes, in addition to being a civic leader, I am a 

businessman in Rockaway. I have been a partner for 30 years. So, 

a question about the economic impact on our businesses and on the 

workforce. 

We have spoken a bit about the shoplifting. I mean, there are 

also situations, really throughout Queens, where migrants are 

taking the stuff they have gotten for free, and they are selling it 

on the street in front of stores, and our retail operations are 

already struggling. They don’t need the competition, or to have the 

front of their stores being difficult for customers to get to. So, it has 

been bad for business, but it has been worse for working-class and 

poor New Yorkers. 

You guys know New York is a very expensive place to live. It is 

painfully worse with all the inflation we have had the last few 

years. So, if you are working, you are not even paycheck to paycheck. You are doing odd jobs, putting cash in your pocket. All of 

a sudden, we have an influx of hundreds of thousands of people in 

a labor glut. It drives down prices when we need our workers to 

be able to get better prices. So, you have people who are struggling 

to get by who either can’t make money at all, or they have to fight 

to accept less money because a migrant who is living in Floyd 

Bennett Field doesn’t have the overhead that an American citizen 

has. 

So, it has been bad for people on the business side, both the 

businesses themselves and our working-class Americans. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you, Mr. King. 

Ms. Fischer? 

Ms. FISCHER. I will add to that a little bit. I think what I would 

want to sort of lift up is that the new arrivals can be a real boon 

to local economies. There are economists that have estimated that 
43 

for every thousand newly-arrived workers, initial state and local 

tax revenues are expected to increase by $2.5 million. 

Economists also estimate that a 10 percent reduction in asylum seekers in a single year would be an $8.9 billion loss to the U.S. 

economy, and over $1.5 billion in lost tax revenues in 5 years. So, 

I think this idea that the new arrivals are a drain on the local 

economy is actually misaligned with what I think mountains of 

economic evidence is able to show. 

Dr. GOSAR. Thank you. 

Ms. Morrissey? 

Ms. MORRISSEY. I feel our quality of life. And most important, 

something that we are overlooking right now is our own children. 

Kids are passing the migrant children selling in the middle of the 

summer on a median in the heat with their parents when they are 

coming from school. Explaining mentally for the children of the 

neighborhood what is going on. While they are going to the beach 

they are seeing children standing there. And I feel it is hard for 

them, as parents, to explain this to children, the begging, and 

seeing them when they are going to avoid people in the stores, and 

everything like that being rushed, and the parents’ fear, and 

feeling the fear the parents are having. 

So, I feel the mental and the quality of life is extremely crucial. 

And right now it is affecting everyone, from the elderly being fearful to go in the parking lots, to the parents rushing their children 

along quickly to avoid any kind of conflict. And some don’t even 

understand what is going on. We are taught different. We are 

taught to help, but we can’t help. It is over-running the neighborhood, and it is crucial that something be done. 

It is cruel, what is being done, leaving children, families, on 

tarmacs in the heat. The line between right and wrong is very gray 

right now, and it is very hard to explain. 

Dr. GOSAR. Ms. Morrissey, I love your comment at the very end 

there. There isn’t a broken system. It is we are not enforcing the 

law. If there are things that have to be changed once the law is 

enforced, then you can change them. But you can’t just change the 

goalposts. 

So, from that standpoint, I want to thank all of our witnesses for 

coming so far and for your expert testimony. There may be some 

additional questions for the witnesses, and we will ask you to 

respond to those in writing. 

Under Committee Rule 3, members of the Committee must submit questions to the Subcommittee Clerk by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 

June 18. The hearing record will be open for 10 days for your 

responses. 

If there is no further business, the Subcommittee on Oversight 

and Investigations is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 12:37 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 
44 

[ADDITIONAL MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD]

Submissions for the Record by Rep. Gosar 

NEW YORK STATE 

Homeland Security and Emergency Services 

June 11, 2024

Chairman Gosar 

House Committee on Natural Resources 

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee 

1324 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Gosar: 

The State of New York has worked to support New York City (‘‘City’’) throughout 

the migrant crisis to ensure individuals arriving in the City are provided temporary 

shelter in accordance with City requirements. With more than 100,000 individuals 

flowing into New York State over the last year and more than 65,000 currently 

being sheltered by the City, the State continues to provide fiscal support to the 

City’s on-going response operation. 

Beginning in early 2023, the State submitted requests to the federal government, 

on behalf of the City, for the use federal lands for expanded temporary shelter. 

Following discussions with the Department of Interior, the City and federal government executed a contract to allow New York City to utilize Floyd Bennett Field as 

a shelter for more than 2,000 migrants and asylum seekers. The lease for the use 

of Floyd Bennett Field (the ‘‘Lease’’) is between the United States of America acting 

through the National Park Service (‘‘NPS’’), as Lessor, and the City of New York 

(the ‘‘City’’), as Lessee. As we understand it, the terms of the Lease were driven by 

the statutory and regulatory powers and obligations of NPS. The State of New York 

(the ‘‘State’’) is not a party to the Lease, nor did the State negotiate the terms of 

the Lease. Rather, in order to assist the City in ameliorating the migrant crisis, the 

State agreed, through a separate agreement with the City, to pay on behalf of the 

City all rent obligations set forth in the Lease. The Lease, which commenced on 

September 15, 2023 and expires on September 14, 2024, requires over the course 

of the one-year term the payment of $20,805,000 in Monthly Rent and $7,000,000 

in Management and Oversight Rent. In addition, to support the City’s provision of 

shelter and services to migrant persons, the State agreed to reimburse the City for 

all necessary expenses up to $383 per bed per night for up to 2,000 beds. 

The Lease requires the City to make the following improvements to the property: 

(i) rehabilitate the historic entrance to Floyd Bennett Field; (ii) repair approximately 

12,000 lineal feet of main access routes, including include making repairs to roadways, planting native tree planting, and installing landscaping; (iii) make site 

improvements to the approximately 770,000 square foot Historic Hangar B parking 

lot and RV camping sites; (iv) upgrade the existing 30 public camping sites and 

clear and grub an additional 30 sites, including making improvements by adding 

signage, removing invasive trees and vegetation, installing fire rings and picnic 

tables at each site, regrading the access trail, and building a new permanent restroom facility; and (v) improve the area around Building 272 to support the development of an outdoor education campus, including clearing invasive plant materials, 

constructing permeable walking trails, rehabilitating the existing greenhouse, 

installing a new parking area, and adding visitor amenities. The City may use up 

to $14,400,000 of the Monthly Rent to cover the cost of these improvements. 

As Congress considers its next steps in providing additional funding and authorities to address the global migration currently challenging the nation’s immigration 

system, the State of New York will continue to support New York City in deploying 

City and State resources and staff to provide humanitarian assistance to individuals 

in the New York City shelter system. 

JACKIE BRAY, 

Commissioner 
45 

NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 

June 12, 2024

Hon. Paul Gosar, Chairman 

House Committee on Natural Resources 

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee 

1324 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Gosar: 

Pursuant to the request for testimony regarding the use of Floyd Bennett Field 

by New York City agencies, we are happy to provide information regarding our 

posture during this unprecedented emergency. 

Through preparedness, education, and response, New York City Emergency 

Management helps New Yorkers before, during, and after emergencies. The agency 

is responsible for coordinating citywide emergency planning and response for all 

types and sizes of emergencies. Our agency is staffed by more than 250 dedicated 

professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including individuals 

detailed from other City agencies. We work to identify the essential partners, personnel, and resources needed for effective response, including city, state, and federal 

government agencies as well as a broad array of partners in the private, non-profit, 

health care, and utility sectors. Emergency Managements’ coordination efforts are 

a critical piece of a broader multiagency response to this national humanitarian 

crisis. We act as the central coordinator when it comes to emergency response, 

ensuring that resources are available for our partners, and serving New Yorkers in 

what can be their worst days with skill and compassion. 

Since April 2022, New York City has been leading the country’s response to the 

migrant emergency, providing critical support to over 200,000 individuals who have 

sought refuge and received assistance from our system. New York City is projected 

to spend more than $4 billion on asylum seeker operations. With thousands of 

migrants and asylum seekers arriving each month, every day is an all-out sprint 

as our teams work diligently to open new sites, operate existing emergency shelters 

and respite centers, and find placements for new arrivals. We are a city shouldering 

the weight of a national crisis, which is stretching the limits of our physical space 

and resources. However, we remain committed to upholding the values of compassion, efficiency, and accountability as we navigate this complex humanitarian crisis. 

The Adams Administration is proud to have engineered the first-in-the-nation 

Asylum Application Help Center, which opened last summer. Since its inception, we 

have opened three satellite sites while partnering with nonprofits, law firms, and 

the state and federal government. We have also provided health care, education, 

work training, jobs, legal support and much, much more. This is a story of New 

York City stepping up, and managing, and doing everything possible. For the last 

two years we have led with care and compassion, and we have not and will not lose 

sight of the extraordinary scale of this emergency. As it stands, currently the City 

is operating over 200 sites across all five boroughs, including 15 humanitarian relief 

centers, and we have helped submit over 50,000 applications for asylum, temporary 

protected status (TPS), and work authorization. 

The City has been able to provide all new arrivals with shelter because of the 

flexibility we have had to open sites quickly. Some of those sites have not looked 

like traditional homeless shelters because emergency situations require creative 

solutions. We have sheltered people in gyms, already shuttered parochial schools, 

warehouses, NYPD facilities, commercial buildings, an airplane hangar, and closed 

or unused university buildings. In order to make these spaces safe and suitable for 

guests, we have had to repair elevators, rent shower trailers, contend with failing 

plumbing, and retrofit heating and cooling systems, and ensure accessibility issues 

for those with access and functional needs. After appealing to state and federal partners for additional support, including shelter space and sites, we were provided with 

approximately 30 acres of Floyd Bennett Field—less than 8 percent of the park’s 

387 acres. Most of the shelter is constructed on a portion of an unused runway and 

parking lot. The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency 

Services provided the necessary requirements for this type of configuration, and 

Floyd Bennett Field meets the specifications they laid out. 
46 

Opening Floyd Bennett Field was necessary, and in order to make it a safe place 

for families with children to reside, we have solved for hazards including high winds 

and flooding. We developed protocols for evacuation and built a pedestrian walkway 

to connect the base camp to a major thoroughfare. We meet weekly with the 

National Park Service to address issues as they arise. We spend an immense 

amount of time and resources to minimize our impact on the park and maximize 

safety of the guests. 

It is important the federal government remains committed to helping states and 

local government combat the humanitarian crisis. When refugees from Europe 

arrived after World War II, from Vietnam in the 1970s, and from Cuba in the 1980s, 

the federal government ran large scale programs to provide immediate healthcare 

needs of new arrivals, screen out individuals posing security risks, and relocate 

people across the United States—where they went on to make massive contributions 

to American society and the economy. Without comprehensive immigration reform 

passed by Congress, this crisis has largely been left to cities and local jurisdictions 

to shoulder alone. 

We cannot emphasize enough that this is a national crisis that demands a 

national response, namely meaningful action from Congress. This crisis has been, 

from the start, a true interagency effort, and we will continue to work with our partners to provide assistance and coordination. We are grateful for the support of those 

willing to work with us and that of the many elected officials who know that new 

immigrants have and will continue to enrich our communities. 

Sincerely, 

ZACH ISCOL, 

Commissioner 

*** 

Appendix: Operational Information on the Base Camp at 

Floyd Bennett Field 

Is the Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Center safe? 

We put the health and safety of asylum seekers—and most importantly children 

seeking asylum—above all else. Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Center staff 

work around the clock to ensure guest wellbeing and that guests sleep in safe 

temperatures and receive three meals each day. 

In keeping with our commitment to public safety of guests and workers at Floyd 

Bennett Field Humanitarian Center, NYCEM has established temporary relocation 

plans for the center in the event of an emergency. In the event of a relocation, our 

security and operations team at FBF ensures thorough accounting for all individuals, including searches, communication strategies, and tracking methods like 

scanning individuals to the temporary shelter upon arrival. NYCEM executives are 

well-trained in evacuation protocols and managing temporary shelters, including 

supervising contractors and providing clear instructions for safe evacuation processes. While the city retains operational responsibility for FBF under the lease 

agreement, we maintain open communication with federal and state partners 

regarding major city emergencies and basecamp concerns. General plans are always 

in place should we need to evacuate any shelter or site NYC Emergency Management builds or operates, enabling us to respond swiftly. Through our 24/7 Watch 

Command facility, we are always monitoring weather, hazards and other conditions 

throughout the city looking out for any potential problems affecting New York City, 

and asylum seeker sites in particular. 

How much of Floyd Bennett Field does the base camp shelter take up? 

The City’s lease is for approximately 30 acres of Floyd Bennett Field, which 

comprises less than 10% of the park’s total 387 acres. Much of the base camp is 

on top of a retired runway and hangar parking lot. 

How do asylum seekers staying at the Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian 

Center get to the city for school, work, or other services? 

In order for migrants and asylum seekers to become self-sufficient, taxpaying 

members of American society, they need work permits. Though we can provide 

services like free transportation, it is on Congress to pass legislation that grants 

these individuals the legal status they need in order to start building a life outside 

of our humanitarian centers and support themselves and to provide the resources 
47 

and authorities needed to expedite asylum and other immigration processing and 

procedures. 

Are people still able to visit Floyd Bennett Field for recreational purposes? 

Yes. Our base camp is clearly defined and bordered, leaving the other roughly 357 

acres of the park available for public use. 

What if you damage the parkland? 

We will leave the park better off than we found it. As a condition of our lease 

of Floyd Bennett Field, we are making up to $14.4 million in investments to 

improve the park. The projects include: rehabilitating the historic front entrance to 

the visitor center, repairing over 12,000 feet of roadways and runways, removing 

debris and invasive plants, renovating 12 RV and 30 regular camping sites, and developing a seven-acre outdoor education campus in partnership with Outward 

Bound Schools NYC. 
48 

*All names have been changed to protect the client’s identity. 

Submissions for the Record by Rep. Stansbury 

AYUDA SOCIAL SERVICES 

‘‘Reina’’—Ayuda Client Story: Defensive Asylum Grant 

Reina* is a 29-year-old transgender woman from Honduras. In her home country, 

it was impossible for her to express her gender identity safely. Her defensive asylum 

case was based on a near-death beating inflicted on her by military and police as 

punishment for publicly presenting as a trans woman. She sought refuge in the U.S. 

and eventually, the D.C. metropolitan area. Ayuda is a nonprofit based in the D.C. 

area that provides legal, social, and language access services to help low-income 

immigrants access justice. Ayuda attorneys represented Reina in her defensive 

asylum case and prepared an over 700-page filing with extensive country conditions 

on the treatment of transgender individual in Honduras. Reina was able to overcome significant trauma to prepare a detailed declaration and give brief but 

compelling testimony. The government agreed to a grant of asylum. 

Reina would have certainly been killed if returned to her home country. We are 

privileged to have her as a member of our community. She has given so much of 

her time and energy to caring for others around D.C. and has grown into an incredible advocate for transgender rights. 

Today, Reina continues receiving gender-affirming medical care that would have 

been impossible in her home country. She has a blooming career in fashion and television. A telenovela she is acting in just premiered this summer. Reina is overjoyed 

to be able to pursue her dreams without fear of deportation to a country where her 

safety and life were at risk. Reina’s newfound safety and stability, thanks in large 

part to the work of the Ayuda attorneys who represented her in her asylum case, 

demonstrate the critical importance of supportive services for asylum seekers. Her 

life-changing journey and her positive contributions to our community demonstrate 

the critical importance of this nation remaining a welcoming place for those seeking 

safety at our border. 

Selena’s Story: Celebrating U Visa Success After 6 Years 

June 6, 2023 

Everyone has their own reason for immigrating. When former Ayuda client 

Selena* fled her home country in Central America after surviving domestic violence, 

her reason for coming to the United States was simple: Safety—for herself and her 

children. 

Shortly after arriving in the U.S., Selena entered a romantic relationship with a 

man named Patrick.* But once he began to abuse her both emotionally and physically, Selena was done. She made the courageous decision to end the relationship. 

Patrick, however, had other plans. He began stalking Selena, posting intimate 

photos of her online, and generally making her feel unsafe. Selena kept her 

composure and reported his crimes to law enforcement. With Ayuda’s assistance, in 

2016 she began the process of applying for a U Visa, which allows victims of certain 

severe crimes and their family members to legally remain in the U.S. 

Although the U Visa is one of the strongest legal protections available for immigrant survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence, it comes with built-in 

roadblocks. For one thing, U Visas are only granted if the survivor complies with 

‘‘reasonable requests’’ from law enforcement. In Selena’s case, she was called on to 

testify at her abuser’s trial. Despite the intense, combative questions that Patrick’s 

counsel threw Selena’s way, she ultimately prevailed. Her abuser has been 

convicted. 

But the best part: Selena has been granted her U Visa after a long six years of 

waiting and can safely continue her path to recovery. Today, Selena is happily living 

with her two children after getting remarried last year. 

A 20-Year Journey to Citizenship: Tanya’s Story 

Tanya* was a young adult when she experienced political persecution in her home 

country. In search of freedom, she accepted a job as a domestic worker in a foreign 

country. Unfortunately, Tanya’s escape was short-lived, as her new employers 

subjected her to human trafficking. 

After the traffickers brought her to the U.S., Tanya once again escaped—only to 

be failed by the immigration bureaucracy. Her asylum application was denied in 
49 

immigration court. It wasn’t until several years later, working with an immigration 

attorney who recognized her as a survivor of human trafficking, that Tanya was 

granted a T Visa in 2008. 

But T Visas are temporary and only allow survivors of trafficking to stay in the 

U.S. for up to 4 years. In 2011, Tanya began working with Ayuda to ensure her 

long-term safety by seeking lawful permanent residency. A year later, her case was 

a success. On top of her residency victory, Ayuda also helped Tanya reopen and 

terminate her previous immigration case—a necessary step to one day apply for 

citizenship. 

In 2022, Tanya was ready to become a citizen. With Ayuda’s representation, she 

applied for naturalization. Tanya’s hard work and studying paid off last month, 

when she passed her English and civics tests on the first try. 

This week, over 10 years after becoming a permanent resident and over 20 years 

after she escaped her traffickers, Tanya will take the Oath of Allegiance and become 

a U.S. Citizen. 

All of us at Ayuda are celebrating Tanya’s success and wishing her the best as 

she starts this next chapter. 

Teen Trafficking Survivor Finds Safety with Ayuda: Elias’ Story 

July 19, 2023 

Elias* was 16 when he arrived in the U.S. from Guatemala as an unaccompanied 

minor. He’d taken the risky journey hoping to reconnect with his mother stateside, 

whom he hadn’t seen since birth. Upon arriving in the D.C. area, Elias connected 

with Ayuda for a helping hand with his goals: enrolling in school, getting health 

insurance, and securing his legal status. 

But at home, Elias was not having the happy reunion he’d imagined with his 

mom. She was forcing him to work in demolition and confiscating all of his earnings. 

She cycled through threats to kick him out of the house, frequently taking his phone 

to ensure he couldn’t reach his safety net. 

After several months, Elias took the challenging step of recognizing his mother’s 

behavior for what it was: Labor trafficking and abuse. He confided to his Ayuda case 

manager, who immediately reported the treatment to Child Protective Services 

(CPS) and began working to get him out of his home. 

Finding Elias safe shelter, however, was a challenge in itself. He desperately 

needed refuge from his mother’s house, but many emergency housing programs only 

have beds for women or survivors of sex trafficking. His case manager knocked on 

dozens of doors, to no avail. Finally, Ayuda was able to pay for Elias’ stay at a hotel 

while coordinating a more long-term solution. 

Elias was understandably scared but remained unshakeable throughout the 

process—never losing his infectious sense of humor. He put Ayuda in touch with his 

uncle based in the Midwest, who was more than willing to provide his nephew a 

safe home. After coordinating between CPS, Elias’ mom, and his school, our case 

manager purchased him a bus ticket, a winter coat, and food for the journey. 

Finally, Elias and the case manager made a safety plan for traveling and future 

communications with his mother. 

Today, Elias has been living with his uncle for over a year. He’s attending high 

school, has a job, and is working with a local immigration attorney. Most 

importantly, Elias reports feeling happier and much more peaceful in his new home. 

Protection through Pro Bono: Ruka’s Story 

Ruka* was in the United States on a tourists’ visa visiting from her home country 

in Asia, when she first met Donald.* A restaurant owner, he promised Ruka that 

she could be included in a visa application that would grant her permanent residency in the U.S. It sounded like a dream, so Ruka leapt at the opportunity. 

As the visa application was allegedly processing, Donald required her to work at 

the restaurant. He also made her pay thousands of dollars in legal fees. Ruka had 

no way of knowing that, in fact, federal immigration laws obligate the employer to 

pay these fees. With no other option, she agreed to pay. 

But after Ruka had come up with the exorbitant fees, Donald changed her duties 

in the restaurant and eventually ceased paying her, requiring her to work only for 

tips as a server. A short time later, Ruka’s dilemma became unbearable when 

Donald demanded another $10,000 for the visa application. He even threatened to 

remove her from the application if she did not pay or continue to work. 
50 

Ruka stood her ground, refusing to give in to Donald’s demands. His retaliation 

was brutal. Well aware that Ruka was now only paid in tips, Donald placed her to 

work in the kitchen, where she’d be unable receive gratuity from customers. 

Fortunately, Ruka was soon able to flee the trafficking situation and reported 

Donald’s crimes to the authorities. She connected with Ayuda’s pro bono program 

and worked with volunteer attorneys to apply for both a T Visa and a U Visa. 

(What’s a T Visa?) 

During every step of the process, Ruka’s pro bono attorneys were guided by Ayuda 

staff attorneys to assist with the uniquities of immigration law. In December 2022, 

Ruka received the good news: her T Visa had been approved, allowing her to safely 

remain in the U.S. for the near future. 

Furthermore, since Ruka’s initial police report, Donald has pled guilty to human 

trafficking—ensuring that no one else will endure what she went through at his 

hands. Ruka is happy to have won her case and hopes that sharing her story will 

help someone else in her situation. 

Zoila’s Story: Social Work Breaks Barriers 

March 7, 2023 

During March we observe Social Work Month to celebrate the powerful impact of 

Ayuda’s Social Services team. These dedicated individuals work with immigrant 

clients to identify their unique needs and goals and navigate resources in their communities. Social Work is difficult to describe because it looks so different for everyone. Zoila’s story below is just one example of how social services uplifts survivors 

and those who could use a helping hand. 

Thank you, Ayuda Social Services team! 

Zoila, an immigrant mother of two, first connected with Ayuda in March 2022. 

She had recently survived domestic violence and was experiencing economic hardship, with a baby on the way. Ayuda’s Social Services team met her with our 

helping hand extended. 

Senior Case Manager Diana Fitz and her colleagues connected Zoila with financial 

assistance, so that she could create stability in her life. To prepare for welcoming 

her little one, Zoila joined Ayuda’s Nursery Project, which gave her access to all the 

newborn essentials. Her family has also been able to count on Ayuda’s pantry and 

diaper bank since the new baby arrived. 

In the last year, Zoila has been making progress on her road to recovery. She’s 

participated in therapy through Ayuda’s support group, as well as different selfimprovement workshops, to help her reach a healthy mental space in life. 

With Ayuda’s support, Zoila has been able to set goals and thrive. Her dream is 

to start a food truck business, and she will soon work with the social services team 

to start applying for the necessary certification. The entire Ayuda team is excited 

for the day we will get to taste Zoila’s cuisine! 
51 

GreenLatinos 

June 18, 2024

Re: GreenLatinos Opposition to H.R. 5283 

While the proposed intent to protect America’s public lands is admirable, H.R. 

5283—Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023— 

proposes false solutions for public land management and misdirects blame to immigrants seeking their right to asylum. Rather than scapegoat undocumented people, 

we encourage the bill sponsor, Rep. Malliotakis (NY), and Congress to robustly fund 

Federal land management agencies—a critical impediment to properly stewarding 

the hundred of thousands of conservation, recreation and historic units under 

federal jurisdiction—and swiftly work together on compassionate and humanitarian 

immigrant reception and integration policies. 

In an August 2023 report titled ‘‘Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land Management Agencies: FY 2013-FY2022 Estimates and Issues’’, the Congressional Research 

Service forcefully demonstrates that every federal land management agency is 

severely and chronically underfunded. Specifically, the report finds that in FY 2022 

the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park 

Service, and U.S. Forest Service had a combined deferred maintenance estimate of 

$35.53 billion. A staggering 59% of this $35.53 billion, or $21.09 billion represents 

the total maintenance backlog of the National Park Service. Additionally, in every 

year analyzed, the National Park Service had the ‘‘largest portion of total deferred 

maintenance and considerably more than any other agency.’’ 

It is the position of GreenLatinos that land management agencies should be 

robustly funded to manage and steward public lands. Yet U.S. House of Representatives leadership in this 118th Congress consistently act to defund agencies responsible for administering public lands. The House FY24 Interior, Environment and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Bill proposed a $2,654,000,000 budget for the operation of the National Park Service, nearly just 46% of the actualized NPS budget 

of $4,724,284,000 actualized for FY24. Even with existing NPS funding levels, the 

Agency does not have adequate resources to address the deferred maintenance estimate which forces the Agency to consider alternative agreements to address maintenance needs on a site by site basis as was done between the City of New York and 

the National Park Service for Floyd Bennett Field. 

In the backdrop of minimal federal funding appropriation, the agreement between 

the City of New York and the National Park Service was designed to ensure financial gain for the stewardship of Floyd Bennett Field via paid rent. The agreement 

secures resources for certain improvements of the site that would contribute to longterm visitor use and enjoyment of the site. (source). 

Moreover, there are a host of activities such as logging, mining, and other energy 

extraction which directly lead to habitat loss and pollution of some of America’s 

most pristine natural resources. For example, the U.S. Forest Service estimates 

there are nearly 39,000 (source) abandoned mines with environmental impacts 

whose impacts include but are not limited to water contamination, water acidity, 

metal contamination of soil, erosion, discharged drums and tanks, impairment of 

scenic vistas, and direct loss of habitat (source). Methane emissions and other 

pollutants accelerating the climate crisis pose gargantuan threats to public land 

maintenance including NPS-administered units (source). It should be noted that the 

proponents of H.R. 5283 do not act to address these critical issues affecting the 

wellbeing of public lands. In this Congress, the bill’s supporters have made reckless 

attempts to: gut bedrock environmental laws that protect our public lands like the 

National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act; block the Bureau 

of Land Management Conservation and Landscape Health Rule from implementation; block the Methane Emissions Reduction Program; and force agencies to 

proceed with the lease of public lands for oil and gas extraction. 

Rather than misdirect and mislead the public, we urge Congress to adequately 

fund federal land management agencies according to need, address the threats of 

pollution to public land health, prioritize measures to restore ecosystem health, and 

to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The Senate should prevent the passage 

of H.R. 5283, and focus on expediting access to work permits for immigrants seeking 

asylum in the U.S. and providing a path to citizenship for undocumented people and 

family reunification, including by adopting the Dream Act and creating a path to 

lawful permanent resident status for long-time recipients of Temporary Protected 

Status and similar programs. 

Æ