NEW YORK (PIX11) — As the migrant crisis reaches a boiling point in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul has issued an executive order giving municipalities more support to deal with an influx of migrants.
The order allows the state to immediately use $1 billion in aid to help New York City support asylum seekers. It also means the state and municipalities can quickly purchase supplies they need to help migrants and deploy more National Guard members to deal with the crisis.
The order comes as the city is expecting an influx of migrants as Title 42, which allowed border agents to turn away people for public health reasons, expires Thursday. About 800 asylum seekers are expected to arrive daily.
The city is looking for new places to become shelters, and officials said they are considering tents in parks, beaches and using vacant schools to house migrants.
Another option is to relocate a few hundred migrants to two Hudson Valley counties. The city said it will cover their costs for at least four months. But executives from the two counties, Rockland County and Orange County, have already pushed back on the idea.
Officials from both areas said they are not prepared for the situation and issued states of emergency that specify hotels and motels are not allowed to accept migrants without permission.
City officials said it’s up to everyone to step up and help the asylum seekers.
