The Trump administration is being urged to shut down two controversial city-approved “safe” injection sites — where drug addicts can use illegal drugs like meth, heroin and cocaine under supervision.
Republican US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is asking Trump to step in to close the government-sponsored centers in East Harlem and Washington Heights, saying they violate federal law.
“These sites not only enable but also perpetuate illegal drug use,” Malliotakis wrote in a Feb. 11 letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.
The Staten Island congresswoman cited a Third Circuit of Appeals ruling in Philadelphia that concluded it was a federal crime to “open a supervised injection site or ‘consumption room’ for illegal drug use.”
Malliotakis also said the centers, operated by OnPoint, triggered a decline in the quality of life and increased crime, drugs and homelessness in the area. Neighbors largely agree.
“I want to see it shut down,” said Monique Jones, who lives across the street from the Harlem location. “It’s bad for the environment, it’s bad for the community.
“We already have a bad element in this community of drug dealers,” Jones, 64, told The Post on Wednesday. “So now it’s convenient for them to buy their drugs and then get high. And then when they close at 8 p.m. they hang out in our lobby and in our staircases.”
Miriam Falcon Lopez, who lives near the same location, said the spot was too close to a local school.
“If you come around noontime, you see it – they congregate around this corner and they have a certain demeanor where you can tell they’re on drugs,” Lopez said.
“They have a stiff walk and a raspy voice, all of them, and they yell and scream back and forth,” Lopez added. “And after they take their medication, after they congregate over there, the young people that sell drugs here sell to them.”
The injection sites were launched in November 2021 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city Health Department under former President Joe Biden.
In 2023, then-Manhattan US attorney Damian Williams, warned Mayor Eric Adams’ administration that the two sites were illegal — but no action was taken to shutter the facilities — a fact noted by Malliotakis in her letter.
“I look forward to working with you and the Department of Justice to enforce our laws, combat the flow of illegal drugs, ensure these illegally operating shelters are shuttered and protect the quality of life of the American people,” Malliotakis said.
The Justice Department, City Hall and Health Department had no immediate comment.
Neighbors of the Washington Heights location said they have been trying to get the place closed down since it opened.
“They’re always here,” said Belgica Cabrea, who was walking by the location with her 9-year-old son. “Trying to help drug addicts by giving them drugs is not helping. I’ve lived my whole life here and this is the worst it’s ever been.”
Sandy Sanchez, 38, who owns a beauty salon nearby said shuttering the sites would get more users into addiction programs.
“They’re always here,” Sanchez, who owns Kiara Beauty Lounge, said. “You can get it for free over here. You’re not fixing them, you’re making it easier for them to be addicts. Make it harder.”
The city Department of Health defended the sites, saying the centers provide “valuable community support through connections to a range of services for neighbors in need.”
“We will continue to invest in and expand access to treatment, recovery support, and tools to mitigate the risk of overdose, while ensuring resources reach the communities that need them the most,” the department said in a statement.
Mayor Adams had previously expressed support for opening more locations.
OnPoint, meanwhile, defended the program as a life saver.
“OPCs save lives. At OnPoint NYC, our staff has intervened in over 1,700 overdoses, providing life-saving care to mothers, fathers, and loved ones,” executive director Sam Rivera said Wednesday, calling the work not just vital but “transformational.”
“Every single one of them deserves compassion and a chance at healing,” Rivera added. “I’m incredibly proud of our team and continually inspired by the dedication they show every day… Lives are being saved, hope is being restored, and healing is possible.”
