NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – More than 30 migrants, including children, believed to have been transported from New York City were discovered living in a single-family home in Rockland County, officials said—and Mayor Eric Adams' administration slammed officials' speculation of the city's potential involvement as "nonsensical lies."
The 1,500-square-foot home in Clarkstown, originally designed for one family, is now under investigation after officials received a tip and found dozens of migrants living inside of it.
"This is a national security crisis and a humanitarian crisis," Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann said in an emergency press conference on Monday. "We believe that at least 31, maybe more, individuals are living in this house. You can see that's the garage, those are children on those mattresses in the garage. This would have been an absolute disaster if people would have died in this house."
Clarkstown officials received a search warrant for the home last Friday upon receiving the anonymous tip.
"We believe this is organized," Hoehmann said. "We believe that there are people behind this from the statements that have been relayed to our inspectors and the police."
Hoehmann suggested an organized effort was behind the situation based on statements from the residents about a constant flow of people staying for short terms before moving on.
Congressman Michael Lawler, along with local Clarkstown officials, speaks at an emergency press conference after 31 migrants, including children, were recently discovered in a 1,500-square-foot home in Clarkstown, Sept. 18, 2023 in New City.Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
The house is owned by 29-year-old Shloima Koppel from Monsey. Town attorneys went to court and they ordered a temporary restriction and immediate eviction of anyone left inside the home.
Koppel has other properties in Spring Valley, which are now under investigation. Investigators are looking into the full extent of the incident.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day and U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler have raised suspicions toward Adams' possible involvement in what Day described as "human trafficking."
"We're going to get to the bottom of who is behind this," Lawler said. "If it is found that Eric Adams is involved," he said, there must be consequences.
When asked if they had any proof linking the incident to Adams, both officials said they did not.
Adams' office called the accusations "lies."
"Since last spring, New York City has provided care and shelter to more than 110,000 people seeking asylum — sheltering almost all of those who've arrived in New York State despite covering just 0.05 percent of the state's land," a spokesperson for the Adams administration said. "Instead of concocting nonsensical lies and spewing vicious hate at people pursuing the American Dream, all our elected officials should act like the leaders they claim to be and do their part to manage this crisis affecting all New Yorkers."
