In late August, Governor Kathy Hochul expanded the executive order that gives New York more leeway in responding to the ongoing migrant crisis caused by the increased population of asylum seekers in the state. This expansion allows the state to quickly access funds to support the arrival of more people and buy necessary food and supplies. Aside from allowing officials to quickly access funds, more funding in general has also been allocated to the already $1.5 billion investment to help cover legal services, housing costs and healthcare expenses for the migrants that arrive in New York.
While New York State is doing all they can to handle the influx of migrants, from increasing funding to finding innovative ways to house more people, including contemplating turning cruise ships into temporary shelter, Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, has been very vocal of the city not being able to continue to support this level of new arrivals without federal aid. In the past, he has criticized President Joe Biden and Hochul for not sending more funding to New York City and for not expediting worker visas for the migrants that arrive. Adams left New Yorkers with the pessimistic view that without intervention, “this issue will destroy New York City.” It is projected that there will be a $12 billion deficit in the city’s budget as a result of responding to this crisis.
In the wake of the mayor’s comments, Republican politicians have taken this as an opportunity to praise Adams for criticizing Biden in terms of immigration and have used these comments to fuel their own criticism for not having harsher border control policies. Republican New York Representative Nick LaLota has even urged Adams to further his comments into action by repealing New York City’s mandate to shelter all migrants who arrive in the city.
Immigration advocates were left less than pleased with the mayor’s remarks and brought to attention New York’s long-standing history as being a city that welcomed immigrants to the U.S. through Ellis Island. Adams creating this harmful narrative that migrants will destroy New York alienates this community from the city at large and ushers in hateful rhetoric and discriminatory policies against migrants.
It is not fair to villainize a group of people who are fleeing violent and tumultuous situations. Or people simply accepting the message fed to them of the American Dream that Americans love to tout but never actually support people trying to achieve this dream. What is the difference between a busload of migrants arriving to New York from Latin America escaping violence in hopes of finding a better life to a shipload of Irish immigrants escaping famine also in search of a better life? New York has always been a city composed of immigrant populations from all over the world. So, what has changed?
It is fine to recognize that there is a financial obstacle to upholding the values of this sanctuary city. It is not fine to recognize and point out this obstacle by placing blame on people simply trying to find a better life. Instead of complaining about the financial hurdles the city now needs to face in order to live out those espoused values, spend that time actually finding a viable solution.
As a whole, the U.S. needs to reevaluate our immigration laws to more effectively support the new landscape of immigration. At the moment, work visas can’t be obtained until six months after applying for asylum. Asylum courts are backed up, causing people to wait four to five years for their hearing. In New York, single adults are being asked to vacate their shelter, protected under the right to shelter laws in the city, after 60 days. These are all areas that need improving to better support our migrant communities.
While Biden has turned around some of Trump’s immigration policies, including reuniting some families who were previously separated at the border and implementing a new family reunification program for Ecuadorians, there is still a ways to go. Clearly, policies have to change to better support the influx of migrants to the U.S. What should not happen is creating stricter immigration laws and narrowing pathways to the U.S. The U.S. has always been a country made up of immigrants. And while the countries people are immigrating from have changed through the centuries, the discrimination and hate has not. It is time for the U.S., and New York specifically, to change their ways and live up to the values they preach.
