House Republicans passed a bill on Thursday that blocks local elected officials from housing border crossers and illegal aliens in public schools across the United States.
After reports circulated this month that New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) is looking at turning 20 to 30 public schools into migrant shelters, House Republicans introduced the “Schools Not Shelters Act” to prevent mayors and other elected officials from housing border crossers and illegal aliens in schools that receive federal funds.
WATCH: “Gyms Are for Children!” NY Parents Protest Plans to Use Public Schools for Migrant Shelters
The legislation passed in a 222-201 vote with all House Republicans voting to pass the bill and House Democrats voting to allow mayors to turn public schools into migrant shelters.
“Self-declared sanctuary jurisdictions are compounding the impact of this crisis by turning public school facilities into shelters for largely unvetted adult migrants who flock to their communities,” Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) President Dan Stein said in a statement:
The bill prohibits public schools and institutions of higher education that receive federal funds from housing illegal aliens. Parents whose kids attend these schools – many already failing to provide a first-class education – are rightly alarmed at the prospect of single adults being housed in these facilities. H.R. 3941 would ensure that America’s schools are used for educating American’s children, not as shelters for homeless migrants who are showing up in response to the Biden administration’s open-borders policies. [Emphasis added]
Students and parents from Public School MS 577 walk march around the school located at N 5th Street and Roebling Streets protesting Migrants being housed at the School gymnasium. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), who co-sponsored the legislation, said President Joe Biden and Adams are “truly responsible for the influx of millions of migrants into our country and city,” blasting the mayor for using the city’s “Right to Shelter” law as a gateway to house border crossers and illegal aliens in public schools.
“I’m happy to see the House take action to stop the Mayor from putting individuals who are not properly vetted in facilities that should be exclusively utilized by our children,” Malliotakis said. “I urge the Senate to take up this legislation along with the comprehensive border security package the House passed in May.”
RELATED: Dem NYC Councilman: We Need Remain in Mexico, We Can’t Pay for Migrants While They Wait Ten Years for Asylum Hearings
When Adams first began housing border crossers and illegal aliens in New York City public schools, outraged parents and schoolchildren protested.
“Our children deserve to have the academics … how are they going to do that when our kids are having to worry about who they are around? We’re going to get hurt,” one parent said at a protest. “And our teachers as well are having to suffer because now they are stuck in the position where they can’t even get our kids help.”
In response, Adams shrugged off the opposition, saying “None of us are comfortable with having to take these drastic steps.”
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.