White House Responds to New York’s Immigration Crisis Plea

Says Congress would need to approve

Recently arrived illegal immigrants gather outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York on Aug. 14, 2023. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The White House says its ability to help New York with the state’s illegal immigrant crisis is limited without congressional action.

“Without congressional action, this Administration has been working to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system and 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,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement on Aug. 25 to 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.”

Governor Seeks Federal Help

The statement comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told President Joe Biden on Aug. 24 that the federal government needs to “take prompt and significant action” to “meet its obligation to New York State.” Ms. Hochul said the federal government has the “direct responsibility to manage and [take] control of the nation’s borders.”

More than 100,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, primarily from the U.S. southern border.

In the letter (pdf) addressed to President Biden, the governor also outlined various actions that the federal government must take, including helping New York with housing, support, and work authorization for the illegal immigrants, some of whom are seeking asylum in the United States.

She also requested Title 32 designation to grant funding for the roughly 2,000 New York National Guard members who have been providing logistical and operational support to shelter illegal immigrants across the state.

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The federal government has contributed some $145 million in direct funding to the illegal immigrant surge. On Aug. 21, it also approved a plan to house at least 2,000 illegal immigrants at Floyd Bennett Field, a former naval air station in Brooklyn.

“While the State appreciates the $145 million contribution that the federal government has made to this effort, this allotment of funds is insufficient,” Ms. Hochul told President Biden in her letter on Aug. 24. “The costs to provide services and assistance to migrants arriving in New York are high and the need for federal assistance is clear.”

The governor didn’t request any particular amount in her letter to President Biden, but did note that “based on the current trajectory and planning, this crisis could cost the State an additional $4.5 billion next year.”

State and City Actions

Ms. Hochul’s administration has already allocated $1.5 billion in state aid to address the influx of illegal immigrants. The funds go to “health care, shelter costs, National Guard personnel, legal services, and voluntary relocation programs,” according to the governor’s office.

The governor’s office also recently announced a $20 million investment to help speed up the casework filing process for more than 30,000 asylum-seekers.

On Aug. 25, Ms. Hochul extended the executive order declaring a state of emergency over the illegal immigrant crisis.

New York City is projecting that the cost to the city will be $12 billion to support the illegal immigrants pouring in. As the numbers of illegal immigrants surge, Mayor Eric Adams has also called for increased federal and state action.

In July, the city announced that it would give illegal immigrants 60 days’ notice to find alternate housing and move out of the shelters they had been provided with.

“We have no more room in this city,” Mr. Adams said at the time.

New York’s illegal immigrant crisis has been blamed on the Biden administration by Republicans for its apparent unwillingness to secure the southern U.S. border with Mexico. More than 5.6 million migrants have illegally crossed the southern border since President Biden took office.

State authorities in Texas and other parts of the county who have been taking in the majority of illegal border-crossers have been sending them to sanctuary cities such as New York, which has seen its social services and shelter systems overwhelmed.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.