Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) led a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, calling for the immediate closure of the migrant encampment at Floyd Bennett Field. The letter stated:
"The grave consequences of the FBF lease predicted by the Committee, government officials, local stakeholders, and members of the public have come to pass. The community, migrants, and the Gateway National Recreation Area have all suffered due to increased crime, inadequate infrastructure, and inappropriate use of NPS lands, impacting public safety and the community's well-being. The Biden administration chose to throw caution to the wind by ignoring countless voices opposed to leasing FBF to NYC for the unprecedented action of turning a National Park into a migrant camp. As the lease nears its expiration date, this failed experiment must end."
The Biden administration established a migrant encampment at Floyd Bennett Field (FBF), part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, after signing a lease with New York City in August 2023. The House Committee on Natural Resources has held multiple hearings to hold the administration accountable and hear from NYC communities on this unprecedented lease agreement.
Widespread reports of crime in and around the FBF migrant camp include domestic violence, assault, shoplifting, prostitution, and panhandling scams. In response, H.R. 5283, the Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023 was advanced by the committee. This act prohibits federal funding from being used to house illegal immigrants on any federal lands and was passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 29, 2023.
The committee is conducting an ongoing investigation into the FBF lease which involves requests for document productions, briefings, and interviews from several federal agencies including the National Park Service, Department of Homeland Security, Council on Environmental Quality and White House officials.
On Oct. 18, 2023, the committee highlighted how housing migrants on federal land sets a dangerous precedent that could expand into other national parks and public lands if left unchecked.
