ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — With Title 42 set to Expire on May 11, Chemung County Executive, Chris Moss, has placed Chemung County in a Local State of Emergency in response to the migrant crisis and the potential relocating of migrants/asylum seekers throughout New York State.

The announcement comes through as Executive Order #2023-01 and places the county under a Local State of Emergency, and in doing so, prohibits municipal programs from housing migrants/asylum seekers, or risk daily fines.

According to Executive Moss, he has a reason to believe that migrant and/or asylum seekers could be transported to Chemung County, with no reason to believe they will leave. He claims there is a potential emergency for the public with the threat of thousands of people being transported to Chemung County.

Moss claims that the county doesn’t have the appropriate services to take in the thousands of people he claims could be transported to the county, and that there is no legal basis to provide services to them through the Department of Social Services.

Through the Local State of Emergency, Moss is prohibiting municipalities from making contracts with people, businesses, or entities to transport migrants or asylum seekers to locations throughout the county. The declaration also prohibits migrants or asylum seekers to be housed at locations in the county for any length of time without the express written permission of the County Executive.

To add to that, Moss states that no hotel, motel, or owner of a multiple dwelling in Chemung County can contract or engage in business with another municipality for the purpose of providing housing or accommodations for migrants or asylum seekers without a license granted by the county.

Those that are found to be in violation of this will be issued appearance tickets as the sheriff is authorized to issue the tickets for any violation of this emergency order (NYS Executive Law 24(5).

The proclamation also states that anyone found to be in violation of any provision of the emergency order could be liable to a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per migrant/asylum seeker housed by the foreign municipality or other violators per day, and could be found guilty of a Class B Misdemeanor.

Moss has set the emergency order to be in effect for five days unless sooner modified, extended, or revoked, and may be extended for additional periods.