New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appeared to change her tune on the immigration crisis Thursday, saying during an appearance on CNN, “If you’re going to leave the country, go somewhere else.”
“I have to tell them that I’m not going to get any more hotel rooms when I come to New York,” Hochul said. “We don’t have the capacity, so we have to really get the message across.”
“The smarter thing to do is to apply for asylum before leaving the country,” the governor added.
This notable shift comes after Democrats previously touted New York’s sanctuary status.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state is at breaking point amid the immigration crisis. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
New York Republicans have long called on Hochul to revoke the state’s sanctuary designation.
“New York City’s leaders chose to become a sanctuary city, rolling out the welcome mat for all immigrants arriving in New York. They chose to demonstrate virtue over good government policy. We must live with the consequences,” the group of eight state senators said. Hochul said in a September 1 letter. “That will never give you or Mayor Adams the luxury of shifting the effects of your failed policies to suburban communities.”
Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
During an appearance on CNN, Hochul said he supports New York state’s “Right to Refuge” law, which has been recalled or repealed amid the immigration crisis. That’s because the law was originally intended to deal with homeless men on the streets suffering from AIDS, but its scope has since been expanded. family.
The governor said this does not guarantee “unrestricted and universal rights and obligations to a city that literally has to house the entire world.”
Hochul met with President Biden this week during a visit to New York City to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. The Biden administration then announced it would approve work permits and deportation delays for the approximately 470,000 Venezuelans already in the United States.
Anti-immigrant demonstrators demonstrate in front of the Roosevelt Hotel on Friday, September 15, 2023, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams, NY Daily News, via Getty Images)
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New York City officials said about 116,000 migrants have arrived at the border so far, with the recent influx also including many from African countries and Russia.
Hochul said during an appearance on CNN that places like New York are “really at capacity” and that we must avoid supporting policies that might bring in more people.
“We have big hearts. We want to be generous and help those facing humanitarian crises, but there are limits to what we can do,” the governor said.
Migrants are photographed outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which is currently being used as a shelter. (Luis C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Mayor Eric Adams did not meet with Biden during his time in New York, amid rifts between the two Democrats over their handling of the immigration crisis, but he urged him to quickly issue work permits to Venezuelans. He expressed his gratitude to the President for this.
The Department of Homeland Security said the 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans does not apply to anyone arriving in the United States after July 31, 2023.
