Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. supports closing the southern border, or at least restricting access, until the U.S. addresses the issue of immigration and a "proper" system is put in place to process newcomers.

In an interview Wednesday with Spectrum News 1, Picente shared his thoughts on issues surrounding migrants in the States without legal status and the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, which he and other New York elected officials visited last year.

"I've seen the magnitude of the amount of people coming through," the Republican said. "We can't sustain that. There does have to be a pause and there does have to be some type of détente in terms of a timeout here. We need to understand who's here before we take any more."

Oneida County has a rich history of welcoming refugees, particularly in and around Utica, but Picente has argued there are major distinctions between past refugee resettlement and the recent flow migrants from New York City. The county in 2023 joined several others in implementing states of emergency that prohibited hotels and shelters from accepting migrants from New York City. 

Asked about enforcement of new executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, Picente said he's heard concerns from The “Center,” formerly known as The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, which has helped individuals from dozens of countries resettle in Utica over decades.

"They're concerned that their people don't get caught up into that mix, it's as simple as that," he said. 

Picente's comments come after President Donald Trump issued several executive orders the president says are aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration policies and promoting border security. The issue has inflamed public opinion nationally and in Central New York. 

They also come as officials across Central New York take up the issue of immigration.

On Wednesday night, members of the Ithaca Common Council voted to reaffirm the city's status as a sanctuary city. Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley recently said the office will not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests to detain undocumented immigrants unless an arrest warrant or detainer signed by a judge is received.

Last month, Syracuse attorney Jose Perez said many of his clients were fearful of new federal policies regarding immigration, which he said had led to migrants in the city being put in ankle bracelets and having their passports taken.