Staten Island leaders ask judge to force closure of asylum seeker shelter at former St. John Villa Academy
NEW YORK -- Angry Staten Island officials stepped up their battle to have the city close the asylum seeker shelter at a former Catholic school.
Officials behind the numerous protests over the shelter at St. John Villa Academy, which is in a residential area of Staten Island, went to court Thursday to try and convince a judge to order the city to close it.
"Make things right for the people of Staten Island," said Borough President Vito Fossella.
It was a plea and a demand echoed by numerous elected officials on Staten Island, asking the courts to do what Mayor Eric Adams has refused to do.
Fossella called the shelter, "the worst possible choice in the worst possible location."
New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli blamed Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Biden.
"Those three people have stopped working for the residents of the city and have put their priorities in the hands of those who have come across our border in violation of our law," said Borelli.
Borelli also faulted Adams for ordering city agencies to cut their budgets by 5% now and up to 15% this fiscal year to help pay the tab for some 206 facilities to house asylum seekers in all five boroughs.
"Listen to the mayor's own words. We are shifting resources away from public services for New Yorkers to serve this population of which I can say my constituents want no part of. They don't support this idea of sanctuary city," said Borelli. "So perhaps in this courthouse, we'll see where the buck stops on the city government and the state government and the federal government. And perhaps this is where that pendulum starts to swing back."
The court battle centered on whether Adams had the right to say that over 113,000 asylum seekers coming to New York City constitutes an emergency and, therefore, he had the right to open shelters wherever he could find space, including Staten Island.
The arguments continued even after the court hearing was over.
"The city says Staten Island needs to shoulder its fair share, that it needs to have its slice of the pie. Well, a slice of the poison pie is not fair share," said State Sen. Andrew Lanza.
The judge did not rule from the bench and said he would prepare a written decision.
Meanwhile, Adams defended his need to order budget cuts and said he would welcome legislation in Albany that would allow the state to issue work permits to the asylum seekers.