Hochul blames migrant crisis on Biden — demands federal work authorizations, funding
Gov. Kathy Hochul demanded President Biden step up and take action to address the surge of migrants flooding into New York — in her first public appeal to the White House since the crisis began in Spring 2022.
The fiery comments from the governor, who has previously opted to try to work behind closed doors on the migrant issue, blamed the Biden administration for the unmanageable influx and urged the president to take ownership.
“This crisis originated with the federal government, and it must be resolved through the federal government,” Hochul said Thursday afternoon at an Albany address, where she announced the demands were sent to the president in a letter.
“I’m confident if the federal government steps up and does its part, we will see this crisis through,” she added.
The new tone by the governor sounded more akin to the pleas of Mayor Adams, who hasn’t pulled many punches with the White House, calling on Biden to act more than three dozen times.
Hochul, though, stopped short of urging the White House to declare a state of emergency, which would cut through legislative red tape slowing the release of federal funding. Instead, she insisted Biden take “executive action.”
Hizzoner has repeatedly called on Biden since Spring 2022 to declare a state of emergency, predicting that the migrant crisis would eventually “decimate” the Big Apple if more federal funding doesn’t come fast.
“New York City is the economic engine of this entire state and country,” Adams told CBS Mornings on Aug. 10. “If you decimate this city, you’re going to decimate the foundation of what’s happening. There’s a lot of blame to go around.”
The governor’s letter does outline a few ways the feds should ease the burden predominantly being shouldered by New York City, which has estimated a $12 billion price tag to care for the migrants over the next three years.
As of Sunday, the city had 59,300 migrants in its care across 206 sites — including 15 mega-shelters run by the public hospitals corporation.
The four key demands, according to the letter:
- Expedited work authorizations
- “Significant” federal funding
- Find, open and operate shelter sites on federal property
- Reimburse the state for the nearly $22 million it shelled out for the National Guard response
“This is a financial burden the City and State are shouldering on behalf of the federal government,” Hochul wrote in her letter.
“Without any capacity or responsibility to address the cause of the migrant influx, New Yorkers cannot then shoulder these costs.”
Hochul slammed the current offering of a mere $145 million in federal funds to New York as “insufficient.”
She also banged the drum on getting migrants to work in her address — a key component pushed by Hochul and Adams to see the state out of the financial issues.
“Our quest continues to tell the White House: `Let them work,'”Hochul. “Until that happens we’ll continue to need funding and sites from the federal government to cover to help the massive, massive expenses of sheltering tens of thousands in our country and state today.”
The state has already earmarked over $1.5 billion but Hochul said the crisis will cost New York state another $4.5 billion next year.
NYC is currently caring for nearly 60,000 migrants, with thousands coming each week.
More than 100,000 migrants have come to New York since the start of the crisis last spring.
