NEW YORK (PIX11) – Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is calling on the federal and state governments along with businesses to show more support for the migrant crisis.
Reynoso will be joined by officials and advocates Tuesday at a news conference to discuss the spike in migration. Nearly 100,000 asylum seekers have made their way to New York City since the spring of 2022.
Mayor Eric Adams said the crisis could cost the city $12 billion.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. is also calling on Washington, D.C. to alleviate the strain.
“We need money,” he said. “And I agree with the mayor. We need a comprehensive plan behind immigration reform.”
Advocacy groups have sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, asking she immediately create a plan to deal with the crisis. The groups want the governor to invalidate executive orders by counties that have refused to accept asylum seekers.
According to the governor’s office, New York National Guard personnel are being deployed to help with the crisis. Nearly 2,000 are working in the city, officials said.
“We’re also continuing to pay for the national guard directly out of our pockets and that’s a high cost,” Hochul said. “It’s approaching $200 million for this year and it’s something that we agreed to.”
The state has since added $1 billion to the budget that was allocated to help with the crisis.
Hochul is also asking for federally owned sites to be used as temporary structures and has met with the deputy interior secretary to discuss the plan.
The city is housing migrants across 200 emergency shelters. The crisis is costing the city $9.8 million a day, and Adams said if Washington doesn’t help soon, city services could be impacted.
The Biden administration rolled out a spending plan late last week that he hopes Congress will pass. Sen. Chuck Schumer says hundreds of millions of that spending will likely be made available to help with the migrant crisis.
