Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York called out the Biden administration on Tuesday over its failure at the country’s southern border.
Hochul also said during the state’s annual budget meeting that she will travel to Washington, D.C., later this week to pressure Democrats to secure the border as New York continues to be inundated by illegal immigrants.
While she addressed her state’s 2024 budget, Hochul complained that the effects of her party’s failure to enforce the country’s immigration laws will mean New Yorkers continue to struggle.
“New York continues to carry the burden of sheltering more than 69,000 migrants,” she said. “Since day one, I have said that this is ultimately the responsibility of the federal government to address this crisis.”
The governor said lawmakers in Congress must work together with the White House “until they restore the rule of law on our border, fix our asylum system and provide relief to states like New York who’ve been shouldering this burden for far too long.”
Hochul did not mention that countless communities close to the border deal with similar issues.
She did say that to end the week, she would travel to Washington to plead for change.
“This Friday, I’ll be traveling once again to Washington to advocate for effective immigration reform, a stronger border and increased support from the federal government for New York,” she said.
Should Biden be impeached?
Hochul added, “But until we see a change in federal policy that slows the flow of new arrivals, we’re going to be swimming against the tide.”
The Democrat then complained that New York City has helped to house more than 10,000 “migrants” who have shown up in the city.
But she said more people are coming than the sanctuary city can keep up with.
“Every month, 13,600 new individuals arrive. That’s how you just can’t get your head above water,” she said.
Hochul said that this coming fiscal year, New York will have to budget for more and more illegal immigrants.
“And because these extraordinary circumstances, which show no sign of abating right now, we have no choice but to plan for those costs again in this year’s budget,” she said.
Hochul concluded that the state must pull $500 million in emergency reserves to deal with being inundated by foreign nationals.
An estimated 150,000 immigrants who entered the country from the southern border have settled in New York since early 2022, The New York Times reported.
