The Biden White House said on Friday that its ability to help New York state with its illegal immigrants 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 to CNN.
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 that it is the federal government's "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.
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 the illegal immigrants across the state.
The federal government has contributed some $145 million in direct funding to the illegal immigrant surge.
"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 said to 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."
State and City Actions
Ms. Hochul's administration had 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 had also recently announced a $20 million investment to help speed up the casework filing process for more than 30,000 illegal immigrants seeking asylum.
As the numbers of illegal immigrants surge, Mayor Eric Adams has also called for increased federal action, as well as state action.
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 like New York, which has seen its social services and shelter systems overwhelmed.