Hochul’s Emergency Order to Tackle Influx of Illegal Immigrants. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has taken action to address the surge of border crossers following the expiration of Title 42 on May 11. Hochul issued an emergency order (E.O.) on May 9, just two days prior to the scheduled expiry of the public health order. This move aims to assist both Albany and New York City (NYC) in managing the influx of illegal immigrants, with the order remaining in effect until June 8.
🚨New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has
Declared a State of Emergency for and over the
Expected Immigrants/Migrants Influx into the State
of New York and it’s 62 Counties. Some have already
filed Lawsuits to prevent this from happening due to
Federal Title 42 Order… pic.twitter.com/bq1g6XkB3k— “Robin Dale” (Celtic🍀Warrior) USA🇺🇸 Ireland🇮🇪 (@CelticDale) May 10, 2023
Increased Flexibility to Support Migrants in New York. Governor Hochul’s May 9 edict provides the Empire State with greater flexibility to redirect resources towards cities and towns that require assistance with the growing number of migrants. This flexibility enables both state and municipal governments to swiftly gather essential supplies and resources, including food and equipment.
Authorization for Deployment of National Guard to Provide Assistance. Additionally, the emergency order authorizes the state to deploy additional members of the National Guard to offer logistical and operational support. Hochul has announced that the order will allow for the deployment of an extra 500 Guardsmen, bringing the total number of deployed troops to approximately 1,500.
Anticipated Surge in Migration and Humanitarian Crisis. In her written statement, Governor Hochul expresses anticipation of a surge in migration into the United States once the Title 42 order expires. This surge is expected to result in the arrival of several thousand additional individuals seeking shelter each week in the city and state of New York. Hochul emphasizes that this influx will exacerbate an already significant humanitarian crisis and create a disaster emergency, overwhelming the capacity of local governments to adequately respond.
The governor notes that despite the presence of the Title 42 order, large numbers of migrants with immediate housing and service needs have arrived in the city and state of New York over the past several months. Notably, NYC alone currently provides shelter for 36,738 migrants, a figure that has increased by 12,279 since January and by 1,578 in the week preceding Hochul’s emergency order.
Lack of Federal Support and Budget Allocation by New York State Legislature. Governor Hochul remarks that federal support is crucial to assist NYC and other local governments within the state that lack the necessary infrastructure, facilities, and resources to meet the immediate humanitarian demands of housing and providing for the basic needs of the large number of migrant arrivals. However, Washington, D.C., appears to be turning a deaf ear to the pleas of Albany.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the New York State Legislature have allocated over $1 billion in the fiscal year 2024 budget to aid the Big Apple in supporting migrants. The continuous influx of over 50,000 migrants to NYC over the past year has strained the city’s ability to provide essential services. As a response, the city has established temporary relief centers, including one at a Brooklyn cruise ship terminal, to accommodate over 30,000 illegal immigrants.
