Gov. Kathy Hochul doesn’t rule out special session for migrant crisis as pressure continues to mount in NYC
Gov. Kathy Hochul didn’t rule out calling a special session of the legislature Thursday, as pressure mounts to reconvene Albany lawmakers to address the ever-growing migrant mess in the Big Apple.
“With respect to a special session, certainly I’m entertaining all of our options right now,” Hochul said Thursday afternoon at an unrelated press conference. “We’re working closely with the Mayor to resolve this.
The comments come as calls for a special session in Albany garner bipartisan support, even though Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has said previously he doesn’t expect to recall lawmakers.
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who introduced bills Thursday to appoint a statewide coordinator for migrants and bar counties from blocking housing migrants, told The Post Thursday she supports the emergency move.
“We’re all in this together & every corner of our State must do its part,” she posted on social media.
Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-Staten Island) also said that “a special session should be called so that both the Governor and legislature can address this crisis which appears to have no end in sight.”
“New York City is facing an insurmountable crisis and my constituents continue to feel that they have been shafted by all three levels of government,” Tannousis told The Post Thursday.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Fulton) said Tuesday pols need to act “before a bad situation gets even worse.”
Last week, another group of Republican pols, including Tannousis, issued a similar plea.
Calls to Heastie’s office inquiring about the new push for a special session were not immediately returned.
Hochul, along with Mayor Eric Adams, has repeatedly called on Washington DC to fast-track work authorizations for migrants. They have argued their ability to work is the quickest path out of the crisis.
“I believe the answer comes from Washington in the form of work authorization,” she said.
Thousands of migrants are arriving each week in New York City as officials estimate the price tag for caring for the asylum seekers in the Big Apple could reach $12 billion by 2025.
The city currently has nearly 60,000 migrants in its care.
Additional reporting Nolan Hicks
