PLATTSBURGH — Clinton County Sheriff David Favro told a Congressional panel that the problem with people crossing the northern border illegally into the county has become a huge problem.

“There are those who want to come here for a better life and they do it the right way and go through the process and that’s great, but there are those who will not and are willing to bellycrawl through the woods to get in here and we don’t know who they are and that becomes a problem,” Favro told the Press-Republican.

Favro, who has been sheriff in Clinton County since he was elected in 2002, testified Tuesday before a House subcommittee on emergency management and technology in Washington, DC.

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Testimony

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He was representing the 3,081 sheriff’s in the National Sheriff’s Association, and he prepared testimony that touched on not just local issues at the northern border, but immigration issues at the southern border and how the two connect.

His written testimony described how the influx of migrants crossing the northern border into Clinton County has become so great that is has strained resources, and in some instances created dangerous situations as law enforcement has had to engage in some vehicle chases that made their way into more populated areas in Plattsburgh.

“We had one that resulted in an injury and we are very fortunate that it wasn’t a fatal,” Favro said.

“We are seeing more and more of that and it is a public safety issue.”

Clinton County has about 30 miles of international border with Canada. Favro said that there have been migrants from 42 different counties, with more than 55% coming from Mexico, 22.1% originating from India and under 4% each from Haiti, Romania and Guatemala.

In his written testimony, Favro said that the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office has just 22 deputies despite serving a population of about 80,000 people.

About 97.6% of residents are native to Clinton County, which spans about 1,117.53 square miles.

“Responding to reports of ‘strangers’ on private property may tie up one or two units, impacting our ability to address other safety needs. Adding to the complexity, high-speed vehicle pursuits involving migrants are on the rise,” Favro’s testimony read.

“A recent incident caused bodily injuries and property damage in what resulted as the busiest traffic point in our small rural county. This highlights the need for urgent attention to the Border Crisis’ impact on our emergency capabilities and calls for strategic solutions to protect our community and law enforcement resources.”

Clinton County is part of the Swanton Border Patrol sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, which includes 295 miles along the northern border.

Favro said that about 70% of all northern border encounters occur within the sector, yet the sector only has 15% of the staffing allocated to the entire Northern Border region.

The sheriff also testified that 73% of encounters in the Swanton sector are single adults, 27% are family units and less than half of 1% are unaccompanied children.

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Cold climate

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Favro also testified that many migrants coming from countries south of the U.S. may not be prepared for the frigid northern winter climate.

“In Clinton County, we regularly experience temperatures falling -35 degrees below zero with a deadly wind-chill. Ponds and swamps freeze quickly and require conducting rescue missions with volunteer fire and rescue teams alongside Border Patrol and Sheriff Deputies. Tragically, two deaths have occurred among migrants attempting to traverse dark wooded terrain,” Favro testified.

“Migrants are arriving predominately from the southern border where they are accustomed to survivable temperatures with minimal clothing. Most do not realize how cold it can become, particularly at nighttime when they tend to move and cross without detection.

“Migrants attempt to seek shelter in barns, sheds, basements or even what they think may be unoccupied homes. We have responded to calls of residents awaking in the middle of the night to unfamiliar noises only to discover migrants that entered their home to get out of the weather.”

Favro also said that when migrants are bused to the county from New York City and other places, there are limited resources to help them, which is also a problem.

“Many communities across the country are facing a housing shortage for their local residents. The increase in migrants has created a shuffle effect, for example, where communities are relocating their excess overage of migrants from one region to another,” he said.

“For example, we have all seen Texas relocating migrants to New York City? What you do not see is New York then busing migrants to the northern border communities where there are literally no resources to assist these people. Some private organizations (Plattsburgh Cares) are providing essentials like food and clothing, as well as guidance and an occasional bus ticket to a different location of the migrants choosing.”

Favro also said that 911 call centers nationwide have experienced “recognizable” increases in calls for service. Since 911 callers’ migrant statuses are not questioned during incoming calls and when responding to an emergency call, it is difficult to establish just what those actual numbers are, he explained.

He also said that when encountering migrants there is often also language barriers to deal with.

The Clinton County Jail is also the only facility accepting detainees from Border Patrol in the area. The county gets $112 per day to house federal detainees and so far in 2023, the county has taken in $2 million from the federal government.

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Politics

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Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) said she was grateful for Favro’s testimony about the border issues.

“This surge of illegal immigration and dangerous cartel activity threatens our national security and the safety of Upstate and North Country New Yorkers,” Stefanik said.

“Our law enforcement officers protecting the hardworking families in Upstate New York and the North Country are spread thin. Joe Biden and Kathy Hochul must immediately address this surge of illegal immigration right here in our district.”

Favro, a Democrat, told the P-R that he views the issue of immigration from a law enforcement standpoint, and not political.

“I learned an awful lot about how political this gets, but I’ve made it clear that law enforcement and politics should never marry,” he said.

“I represent the people and I work for public safety and keeping people safe no matter what.”