ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Tompkins County is on standby for the possibility of an influx of migrants from the southern border.

Numerous counties across the state have recently declared a state of emergency to quell any inclination to send asylum seekers there, citing infrastructure and economic deficiencies to sustain a surge in individuals needing services. Tompkins County has not declared an emergency, as some have pointed out the county has housing and non-English speaking resources and is typically open to those seeking refuge from political persecution.

Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes says the state is taking steps to handle the surge in the Big Apple, and there are no current plans to relocate anyone to the area.

 

County officials are in discussion about what could come next.

 

More asylum seekers are expected to enter the country after pandemic-era immigration restriction at the border expired last week. Leaders in Texas continue to bus immigrants across state lines.