The White House responded to Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s (D-NY) plea for President Joe Biden‘s assistance with New York’s migrant crisis on Friday, claiming its ability to help the state was limited without congressional authorization.
New York City has witnessed a major influx of migrants over the past year, with more than 100,000 migrants flooding the city from the United States’s southern border since the spring of 2022. Hochul requested federal assistance to help with the costs associated with the crisis on Thursday, but a White House spokesperson claimed help from Congress was needed instead.
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“[This administration] has worked to identify ways to improve efficiencies and maximize the resources the federal government can provide to communities across the country to support the flow of migrants,” the spokesperson told CNN. “We will continue to partner with communities across the country to ensure they can receive the support they need. Only Congress can provide additional funding for these efforts, which this Administration has already requested, and only Congress can fix the broken immigration system.”
The federal government has contributed $145 million in direct funding to New York’s migrant crisis so far, and approved lodging for asylum seekers at Floyd Bennett Field on Monday. The Department of Homeland Security has also sent an assessment team to work with state and local officials, according to an administration official.
Hochul requested reimbursement and resources for transportation, food, and lodging for the migrants, and faster approval for work authorizations. Hochul said the only thing stopping the migrants in New York City from getting work was red tape from the federal government, which had fallen behind on approving the authorizations.
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“For over a year, I have called for federal assistance and support for New York as we manage the unprecedented number of asylum seekers arriving in our state,” Hochul said in a statement. “New York cannot continue to do this on its own. It is past time for President Biden to take action and provide New York with the aid needed to continue managing this ongoing crisis.”
The governor’s call for aid comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams predicted the price of the migrant crisis in the city could reach $12 billion by 2025 if the flow of immigrants remains the same. Hochul had not provided a total price tag in her request, but the state has provided more than $1.5 billion to the city so far and could be required to pay another $4.5 billion next year, based on current estimates.
