Dozens of vehicle crashes in Hampton Bays raise concerns

EAST END, New York — A photo that has been widely circulated on social media in recent days shows a large white bus or van parked outside Macy's in Hampton Bays. Many have re-circulated the photo, which shows a large group disembarking with suitcases and other bags and belongings.

The photo has sparked an outcry on social media, with many expressing concerns that migrants from New York may have been sent to the area.

“Unbelievable,” one person wrote.

“This is not our town anymore,” added another.

Those who posted commented on the new suitcases the team appeared to be carrying and the fact that cars were waiting to pick them up.

Southampton Police Lt. Todd Spencer said a “suspicious incident” was reported to the department Tuesday at 7:27 p.m. In front of Macy's upon arrival, the bus was no longer on scene,” the report said. An officer interviewed a man who said he saw the bus and the people, who were picked up by cars within minutes of unloading , the report said.Police searched the area to find the bus without success.

When asked about residents' concerns, Spencer said: “We believe there is some truth to the matter. We have received some photographs, but we do not know first-hand, nor have any officers seen it. We have been advised that most of the subjects left were immediately picked up with vehicles It is possible that they were seasonal migrants who come every year for work, but that is speculation.'

Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore said she spoke with Southampton Police Chief James Kiernan, who confirmed that passengers got off a bus at Macy's Tuesday night around 7 p.m. all were picked up by private vehicles within minutes.

“We don't know where they came from or where they were going,” Moore said. “But we know that every spring local businesses hire H2-A visa workers to fill seasonal jobs. We don't know of any other municipalities sending people here.”

A spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said he had no comment. New York State Representative Fred Thiele and New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo both said they had no information on the matter. Spokesman Nick LaLota did not respond to a request for comment, and a request for comment from New York City Mayor Eric Adams was not immediately returned.

Some residents claimed to have seen large groups of people disembarking at Riverhead.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said he had “nothing” in the way of information about the concerns, but said the state of emergency put in place by former Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar to prevent asylum seekers to flood the community, still applies.

Aguiar, speaking with Patch Wednesday, said she “without a doubt” believed the migrants were being sent to the East End, with Patchogue as the hub from which the buses departed.

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski also said he heard residents discussing the issue last week and contacted Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, who told him he had no reports of the issue.

New York State Rep. Jodi Giglio said she would investigate.

In September, New York City dropped a lawsuit against the Town of Riverhead over the immigration crisis that led Aguiar to issue emergency declarations, preventing asylum seekers from being sent to the city.

Aguiar said the city of New York has officially filed a voluntary cease and desist notice. this notice, issued by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County, was dated September 13.

Aguiar's emergency orders, which began on May 16, 2023, are renewed weekly.

“The executive order/state of emergency became necessary when I realized that New York City planned to bus asylum seekers to our hotels and other facilities in the city of Riverhead on May 16, 2023,” Aguiar said.

Aguiar said New York City officials were in the process of moving homeless asylum seekers to Riverhead to be housed in local hotels for periods “beyond what is allowed in our city code and without rental permits.”

He added that “this type of emergency housing would not only violate our codes, it would also limit hotel space during our busiest tourist season, thereby threatening existing local jobs and the economy on which the our community. The city was not notified or consulted regarding the New York plan and we would not be able to accommodate these individuals.”

Aguiar argued that the city needed to protect itself from New York's “bad decisions” and not, in her opinion, adequately address the humanitarian crisis.

The executive order/state of emergency declaration prohibited hotels and other short-term lodging facilities from accepting homeless people, especially asylum seekers, in the city of Riverhead and instructed the city's homeless shelters not to displace their own homeless population.

“The executive order was necessary to protect our city residents as well as asylum seekers from being housed in violation of our city code,” Aguiar said.

New York City officials then began legal battles to vacate the local executive order.

“I'm glad that this chapter is over and that our actions to protect our community from the consequences created by New York's chaos for asylum seekers and the effort to mitigate this federal issue in Riverhead, are complete,” he said. at that time.

All cities should be given their own home rule, he said, thanking city officials for understanding Riverhead's individual zoning bylaws, as well as those in other cities across the state.

“Furthermore, this is a humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed by the federal government and New York City,” he said.

In her interview with Patch Wednesday, Aguiar said the issue was not new. He said he has personally seen people “flying gallons of water and their belongings” at the Riverhead train station.

Patchogue, he argued, is the “main hub for the East End, a processing center for immigrants. They're being pulled out to different cities.”

When she first issued the emergency order, Aguiar said calls were made to Riverhead hotels from New York asking to rent floors for six months. later, he said, calls were made asking for conference rooms.

Aguiar said she believes immigrants are staying in hotels. others have family members and some, he said, live in camps in the forest. Some, he said, are leaving the East End for other locations. Many are seen waiting for buses in the East End, he said.

The buses and vans that drop people off, Aguiar said, are white, “non-descript, no name.”

When asked if she thinks immigrants are being moved to the East End, Aguiar said, “There's a very good chance that the circumstances are showing that,” she said. “That's definitely happening in Riverhead.”