New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said this week that the state is expected to allocate billions more in taxpayer spending to support New York City as it continues to deal with an influx of unlawful migrants.
Hochul announced a $233 billion new budget proposal that includes $2.4 billion to be set aside to help assist the city with the ongoing crisis, according to News Nation. These funds will assist with sheltering, case management, medical and legal aid, and employment resources for migrants.
While speaking at the state capitol, Hochul said, “We … know that companies won’t do business in New York if there are thousands of people sleeping on the streets, or the quality of life is dramatically impacted because the city is forced to cut essential services,” per the Associated Press.
Hochul said she plans to meet with President Joe Biden to discuss further steps the federal government can take to help assist the city with the crisis, claiming that such help is necessary to manage the issue effectively.
“Until we see a change in federal policy that slows the flow of new arrivals, we’re going to be swimming against the tide,” added Hochul, according to AP.
This budget proposal begins a 10-week period of debate among state lawmakers who will attempt to solidify their plans by an April 1 deadline.
These funds come as New York City continues to deal with an influx of roughly 70,000 unlawful migrants in the city’s care.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly expressed concern that the influx could cause serious issues, warning in September that it would eventually result in a “financial tsunami,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Adams also suggested in June that the city may pay private residents to house the migrants as a way to help put funds “back in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers,” noting that the city would have to find a way to get past “rules that government has in place” to prevent such a scenario.
“There are residents who are suffering right now because of economic challenges. They have spare rooms, they have locales,” Adams said, per News Nation.
The influx of unlawful migrants into the self-described sanctuary city is partly due to a busing program by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has transported more than 33,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022, according to a December 2023 press release from the governor.
Abbott has defended the busing program, claiming that the federal government caused the issue due to new border regulations.
“Once the Biden administration has authorized these migrants to be in the United States, they have the Constitutional right to travel to New York City,” said the governor, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The busing program came in response to unprecedented border crossings at the southern border, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting record-breaking encounters with unlawful migrants in recent months.
CBP confirmed more than 300,000 encounters at the southern border in December, breaking the previous record of 269,735 encounters in September.
Adams responded to the busing program by filing a lawsuit against the 17 busing companies that assisted Texas in the transportation of the migrants, which included multiple North Texas companies.
