Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., earlier this week called for Staten Island to secede from New York City over the way Mayor Eric Adams is handling the migrant crisis.
"What we're simply asking is for common sense," Malliotakis said Monday during a protest at a migrant shelter opening at a former Catholic school on the island, reports Fox News. "We want the mayor to end this. Stop doing what you're doing and listen. Secure the damn border. We do not have a border. We do not have a nation.
"If you're not going to do your job, mayor, then let Staten Island secede."
The protest was one of a series across Staten Island over proposed shelters for asylum seekers.
Malliotakis, whose district includes Staten Island, told Fox News that the push for Staten Island to break away from the other four boroughs has been ongoing for decades.
"We didn't vote for your policies," Malliotakis said. "We should not be subjected to your policies. We're going to keep on turning out. Let Staten Island secede."
Elected leaders filed a lawsuit against the city over the shelter at the former St. John Villa but migrants are still allowed to stay there — the city bought the property in 2018 after the school closed.
The city is currently taking care of nearly 60,000 migrants.