New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) placed responsibility squarely on President Joe Biden and his administration to tackle an influx of immigrants coming to the state.
Describing the situation as a worsening “humanitarian crisis,” Hochul lamented a lack of federal action to address the declining situation.
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“We really are looking for a federal response to this, to take ownership of a crisis, and we’ll be there to help, but this belongs to the federal government,” Hochul told reporters, per the New York Post.
Hochul, who has described herself as a “Biden Democrat,” implored the federal government to acknowledge the urgency of the situation.
“We want the federal government to see that this is a humanitarian crisis,” she added.
Over recent weeks, roughly 18,600 asylum-seekers are estimated to have arrived in New York City. Some Republican governors in Southern states, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have in recent months transported immigrants to blue states or cities in an effort to draw attention to the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. For example, between Aug. 5 and mid-September, Texas moved 2,500 immigrants to New York City, according to the Texas governor’s office.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, recently declared an emergency on the situation and claimed that schools and homeless shelters have been overwhelmed.
Hochul’s midterm election opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), has criticized her for backing policies that he says incentivize immigrants to head toward the Empire State.
“There’s a Green Light Law that is in place that prevents federal law enforcement from being able to get access to DMV records. There was just an expansion of all Medicaid, where they’re now providing additional tax dollars to people who aren’t legally here,” Zeldin said in a statement, per the New York Post.
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The New York governor reportedly noted that she is working to prod the federal government into pouring more resources to assist with the immigrant situation.
Last month, the U.S. crossed a record-breaking 2 million migrant crossings for the fiscal year ending in September at the U.S.-Mexico border.
