CHURUBUSCO | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik met with emergency services providers, property owners, and local elected officials from Clinton and Franklin counties to discuss the illegal border crossing crisis in the North Country.
“I have been sounding the alarm for years about the record-setting numbers of illegal immigrants invading our Northern Border and Swanton Sector under open border czar Kamala Harris. Today I heard from a Clinton County resident who found illegal immigrants hiding on her property including in her garage. I heard from parents from Franklin County who cannot let their children play outside due to the influx of illegals on their private property. I heard from a Clinton County mom whose children were at risk when illegals were found near elementary school property during morning drop-off. Enough is enough,” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said.
“Our rural communities are struggling due to the America Last policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Kathy Hochul, and Chuck Schumer. While Far Left Democrats put the interests of illegal immigrants over hardworking Americans, I will continue fighting for the safety of our families by returning to the successful border security policies of President Trump who created the most secure border in history
Franklin County Sheriff Jay Cook said “The residents of Franklin County that own land or live on the Canadian Border are beyond frustrated with the illegal entries that are continually taking place. They have total strangers pouring across their property at all hours of the day and night. They can’t use their property like they should be able to because they are afraid of running into a group of migrants that have entered the U.S. illegally and are trespassing. Something has to change.”
After the meeting, Clinton County Office of Emergency Services Assistant Director Kelly Donoghue said “Our border district does not get nearly as much attention as our southern border districts despite seeing record numbers of illegal crossings at our northern border. Local emergency services providers are doing everything we can to ensure our residents are safe. I am grateful for Representative Stefanik’s leadership in giving communities that are often left out of the conversation like ours a voice on the national stage.”
Fort Covington landowner Chris Oliver, who’s made national headlines documenting the alarming and overwhelming crossings on his rural farmland, said “The amount of illegals that have entered my property while crossing into the U.S. is unbelievable. It all began a year and a half ago or so and has not slowed down. We don’t know who these people are who are coming here undocumented and the stress of whether a group camping out on my property will cause me harm or not is constant.”
