Malliotakis Urges Biden DOJ to Halt Supervised Injection Sites in New York City
"Biden Department of Justice should take the same course of action as the Trump Administration."
(WASHINGTON, DC) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland following reports that New York City will open two "Supervised Injection Centers" in East Harlem and Washington Heights as soon as today.
In 2018 as a State Legislator, Malliotakis introduced legislation and sent a letter to former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's original Supervised Injection Center plans. In response, the DOJ committed to stopping the mayor's plans if they were to proceed given its clear violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
The legislation introduced by Malliotakis in the State Assembly stripped state funding from organizations that established such injection centers. Now, as a member of Congress, Malliotakis is calling on the Biden Administration to make the same commitment and she intends to introduce similar legislation on the federal level.
"After I reached out to Attorney General Sessions in 2018, the DOJ committed to me that it would intervene if Mayor de Blasio proceeded with his unlawful plan to open heroin injection centers in our city," said Congresswoman Malliotakis. "Now that President Biden is in power, Mayor de Blasio has rushed to put this illegal scheme back on track. I urge the current Administration and Attorney General Garland to make the same commitment and take swift action to enforce federal law."
On January 13, 2021, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled "that it is a federal crime to open a supervised injection site or 'consumption room' for illegal drug use," after a nonprofit attempted to open supervised injection sites in Philadelphia. In agreeing with the government’s interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act, the Court explained, “[t]hough the opioid crisis may call for innovative solutions, local innovations may not break federal law.”
Malliotakis added: "Instead of focusing on the root cause of the drug epidemic, Mayor de Blasio is enabling drug cartels that continue to break our laws, smuggle illegal drugs over our border, and prey on our children. Crime and fentanyl use are at record highs because of open borders, botched bail reform, and anti-police policies that keep releasing criminal drug dealers back onto our streets. Opening taxpayer-funded heroin shooting galleries is not a proper solution. These centers not only encourage drug use but they will further deteriorate our quality of life."
A copy of Malliotakis' letter to Attorney General Garland can be found HERE.