As record numbers of immigrants enter the country, Democratic leaders in sanctuary states and cities are appealing for help.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is the latest sanctuary city Democrat to speak out. Johnston proposed a number of solutions on Friday's “America's Newsroom,” but ultimately echoed calls from other Democrats, saying “more federal aid” is urgently needed. insisted.
Johnston previously predicted that 10% of Denver's total budget would go toward immigration assistance and warned that the border crisis would “decimate city budgets across the country.”
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“I called the White House,” Johnston told hosts Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino. “We have been communicating that we need more help from the federal government, which is why we have a supplemental budget for that.”
Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed concern in December, saying the city's population was “approaching capacity.”
DENVER, COLORADO – MAY 9: Venezuelan immigrants wait for food from a food truck at an immigrant processing center in Denver, Colorado on May 9, 2023. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) ((Photo by: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post, Getty Images))
New York City Mayor Eric Adams blamed the Biden administration and the state of Texas.
“The federal government must take responsibility and lead on this humanitarian crisis,” Adams said at a Dec. 27 press conference.
He then shifted his focus to Texas, accusing the charter bus company of bringing immigrants from Texas and leaving New York City at the huge cost of providing food, housing, and other necessary services. announced a $700 million lawsuit against 17 companies.
“Texas cannot alone bear the cost of reckless political maneuvering,” Adams said. “These companies are violating state law by not paying the costs of caring for these immigrants. That's why we're filing this lawsuit.”
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Mr. Johnston is working towards practical solutions and calls for three important steps to address this crisis: faster processing of asylum claims, work authorization for immigrants, and a nationally coordinated immigration system. is suggesting.
He said applying for asylum “should take 30 or 90 days, not six years.”
“The most important thing is that when people arrive in our city, we want them [to have] “It’s the ability to work. If you have a work permit on arrival, you can start working right away and support yourself. [they] No federal or state support is required. ”
Johnston said he believes there is nothing more un-American than denying people the opportunity to work and forcing them to rely on taxpayers.
He also emphasized the need for a concerted effort to place migrants across the country.
“We want to make sure that countries work together to find out where the migrants should arrive and where there is capacity to accommodate them, just as we did with refugees from Ukraine and refugees from Afghanistan,” he said.
“We know how to do this.”
Johnston said his city has been hit hard, but “Breaking point” He maintained his sympathies with Texas and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as there were not enough jobs or housing to accommodate the influx of immigrants.
“I reached out to Governor Abbott and offered to work with him, and I look forward to continuing to do so,” he said. “The whole state of Texas shouldn't have to bear the brunt of it, and neither should Denver or Chicago or New York.”
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