The Murphy administration on Friday denied it has plans to allow the use of an old state psychiatric hospital in Hunterdon County to help process undocumented migrants.
Jeff Kuhl, deputy director of the Hunterdon County Board of County Commissioners, announced this week that the administration is considering the old Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Glen Gardner as a potential processing site. In a statement, state Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Warren), whose district includes the site, also responded and said the state’s communities are already stretched too thin.
On Friday, New Jersey State Police said in a statement that a migrant processing site is not in the plans.
“Hagedorn was previously identified as a potential state site should the need arise to shelter a mass group of individuals, not limited to migrants, but also including weather-related events or large-scale emergencies,” the statement read. “We don’t anticipate the need to use this facility at this time given the low number of migrants that have settled in New Jersey over the past few weeks.”
Earlier this month, the crisis growing at the southern border overflowed into New Jersey. Migrants bused to New York City from Texas and other border states stopped first at train stations across New Jersey, causing many local officials to speak out. Now, some are speaking out about the potential use of the rural facility, saying the housing of migrants will overwhelm resources like fire, police and EMS agencies.
