The recent allegations of "stonewalling" by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis against the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams regarding the release of data on crimes committed by migrants in or around taxpayer-funded shelters have sparked a heated debate. Malliotakis, a Republican from Staten Island, claimed that the administration is deliberately withholding information from the public, thereby hiding the true extent of the migrant crime problem in New York City.

But what exactly is the issue at hand? Malliotakis' Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request sought statistics on crimes committed by migrants in or within a five-block radius of a City-run migrant shelter from January 1st, 2023, to December 31st, 2023. The request also asked how many arrestees had listed a City-run shelter as their home address and what were their top charges during this time period. Most importantly, it asked whether the NYPD had been instructed to track detailed records of incidents and offenses involving migrants.

The NYPD's response was dismal, with periodic updates stating that the information was not yet available, with the promise that it would be released by November 15th – just 10 days after the election. Malliotakis believes that this is a clear case of "stonewalling," suggesting that either the administration is deliberately hiding the information or that there are many more crimes being committed by migrants than can be tabulated in a year. 

But what's the real reason behind this stonewalling? Is it a conspiracy to cover up the true extent of the migrant crime problem, or is it simply a case of bureaucratic inefficiency? The answer, much like the data Malliotakis requested, remains unclear. 

What if this assumption is wrong? What might the author have missed? Are there alternative explanations for the delayed release of information? Are there other factors at play that could contribute to this stonewalling?

Behind the Scenes of Migrant Crime: A Story of Stonewalling and Sanctuary

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