Staten Island politicians demand a ‘halt’ to plans to use Fort Wadsworth as migrant shelter site

The audacity! Staten Island elected officials are making it known to City Hall and the Biden administration to halt plans to use Fort Wadsworth as a possible migrant shelter site, charging that doing so would violate federal protections of national historic landmarks.

“The audacity to even consider transforming such a culturally significant and operationally strategic National Historic Landmark into a migrant shelter is an affront to servicemembers and local residents,” continued the ten signers, which included Republican Borough President Vito Fossella, Councilmen Joe Borelli and David Carr, state Sen. Andrew Lanza, Assemblymen Michael Reilly, Michael Tannousis and Sam Pirozzolo, as well as Democratic pols state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks.

They cited federal regulations which require the government “to minimize harm to any National Historic Landmark that may be directly and adversely affected by an undertaking.” 

“Sheltering hundreds of families among these historic structures is in direct conflict to that obligation, as any damage that results from this plan would likely be irreparable,” the group said. 

“We demand that you halt any plans to use Fort Wadsworth as a migrant shelter and instead respect our history, our veterans and servicemembers,” they added.

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