President Joe Biden’s White House is opposing a plan that would prevent federal lands from being transformed into migrant camps housing illegal aliens released into the United States from the southern border.
In August, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) introduced H.R. 5283, named the “Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act,” to block the federal government from using federal lands to house illegal aliens.
This week, Biden issued a statement in opposition to Malliotakis’s legislation:
The administration strongly opposes H.R. 5283, which would prohibit the use of Federal funds to provide temporary shelter to certain noncitizens, including migrants seeking asylum, on Federal lands falling under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Forest Service. [Emphasis added]
The administration opposes this legislation because it would significantly restrict the ability of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to make decisions regarding the appropriate uses of their lands and resources, even in emergency or other situations. [Emphasis added]
Malliotakis’s legislation, which was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee in October, came as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) got approval from the Biden administration to move hundreds, and potentially thousands, of border crossers and illegal aliens onto Floyd Bennett Field.
The historic, federally-owned airfield was used by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy during World War II. Before then, the airfield was also used as New York City’s first municipal airport and has had famous guests visit it in prior decades, including Howard Hughes and Howdy Doody.
Today, Floyd Bennett Field serves as one of the largest open spaces in the city, which has made it ideal for biking, fishing, camping, and hiking for New Yorkers. The airfield is managed by the National Park Service and is surrounded by residential communities.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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