City leaders call on federal government for more aid to handle NYC migrant crisis
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso says the asylum seekers are welcome, but the responsibility to take care of them should fall on the federal government.
City officials are pushing for more support from the federal government as the migrant crisis grows in New York City.
Community members and elected officials joined on Tuesday at Brooklyn Borough Hall and called on the federal government to provide more resources. Mayor Eric Adams says New York City has officially welcomed more than 100,000 migrants since the spring of 2023.
Among those at the podium were Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Public Advocate Jumaane Willams, Assemblymember Robert Carroll, and the mayor. They stood in solidarity saying the migrants are welcome here, but more resources and funding are needed.
MORE: Brooklyn community organizations help asylum seekers navigate immigration process
"President Biden, please step up. Provide the resources that are needed so we can match this humanitarian crisis with a real humanitarian response. We're begging you, pleading to you, united as a voice," said Williams.
Borough President Antonio Reynoso says it is "New York vs. the Biden Administration". He believes the responsibility to take care of the asylees should fall on the federal government.
"We in the City of New York are in crisis. Many folks might not feel it because we're doing our best to house every single person that comes into New York," Reynoso said.
They're urging a national strategy, saying otherwise the city will continue to suffer. They're also calling on the state to provide more help to the city as well.
This all comes on the heels of Gov. Kathy Hochul's push to get the federal government to sign off on using Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to house asylum seekers.
