Kathy Hochul
Nine Democratic governors, led by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, are calling for federal action on immigration.
The governors asked in a letter sent to the White House and Congress for “a serious commitment” to overhauling the immigration system that would include federal coordination on a strategy to relieve pressure on the southern and northern borders, as well as for more funds for states.
The letter states, “It is clear our national immigration system is outdated and unprepared to respond to this unprecedented global migration.”
The New York Times reports that President Joe Biden proposed in 2023 a $106 billion package that included aid to states and localities as well as more funding for border security and deportations, along with aid to Ukraine. But his effort failed to garner the bipartisan support necessary to pass a divided Congress.
The Times reports that since spring 2023, 170,000 migrants have arrived in New York City, and the city is still housing about 70,000 of them. Many of those seeking refuge came to New York on buses paid for by Republican governors who saw the move as both a way to ease the burden on their own states and send a political message to Democrats who in their view had played down the situation at the border for too long.
The arrivals quickly overwhelmed New York City’s already overburdened shelter system, which operates under a 1981 decree that requires the city to make temporary housing available to anyone who requests it.
The Democrats’ letter acknowledged the political risk of bringing attention to the immigration issue during a presidential election year, especially since former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, made it a signature of his agenda.
And although the Democrats said the Biden administration has made “important progress” on the issue, they say the need for federal assistance is dire.
The full text of the letter is available here:
Dear President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries:
As Governors representing over 100 million Americans, we write to call on Washington to work together to solve what has become a humanitarian crisis. The sustained arrival of individuals seeking asylum and requiring shelter and assistance, due to lack of Congressional action on infrastructure and policies, can only be addressed with federal organizational support and funding to meet the public safety and humanitarian needs of our local communities. With ongoing conflicts around the world, global migration is at a historic high. States and cities cannot indefinitely respond to the subsequent strain on state and local resources without Congressional action. Communities along the southern border – as well as interior states and cities across the country –lack the vast coordinated infrastructure needed to respond to the humanitarian and public safety concerns of those seeking lawful entry into the United States. America needs a federal solution that supports our economy, immigrants and fixes our immigration system.
Last year, President Biden put forward a $106 billion supplemental funding request to address immediate national security concerns, including $4.4 billion in desperately needed funding for a robust, federal migration strategy with $1.4 billion in aid to states and localities. Those funds would provide support to federal agencies for additional personnel to increase border security, add staff to accelerate processing times and eligibility determinations, and increase removal proceedings for those ineligible to stay in the United States.
While political motivations continue to delay the negotiations, our economy, states and localities are bearing the brunt of the shortcomings of the existing immigration system. Therefore, as you return to Washington to resume work on critical federal funding measures, we strongly urge Congress and the Administration to quickly negotiate an agreement on a border security legislative package that includes federal coordination and decompression at the southern and northern borders; federal funding for both border and interior states and cities receiving new arrivals; and a serious commitment to modernizing our immigration system in the United States. We believe the President’s supplemental request provides a minimum level of funding and actions that will allow the United States to begin transformational reforms to its immigration system and uphold the principles of democracy that America was built upon.
While the Biden Administration has made important progress in managing immigration at the Southwest border, the number of migrants arriving in states and cities seeking emergency shelter continues to increase at record pace. States and cities have spent billions to address inaction by Congress and match these challenges with solutions for our state and local economies. However, it is clear our national immigration system is outdated and unprepared to respond to this unprecedented global migration. Without serious reform informed by evidence- based solutions, the challenges facing states and localities will only grow.
We remain committed to working with the Administration and Congress to advance common sense solutions to fix our immigration system. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Governor Kathy Hochul, New York
Governor Katie Hobbs, Arizona
Governor Gavin Newsom, California
Governor Jared Polis, Colorado
Governor J.B. Pritzker, Illinois
Governor Wes Moore, Maryland
Governor Maura Healey, Massachusetts
Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico
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