Pressure mounts from Dems for Biden to aid migrants influx – Spectrum News NY1

The pressure is growing on President Joe Biden to take the reins of the migrant crisis. And it’s not just Republicans who are hammering the White House on the issue, Democrats are joining in, too.

State and local officials are heightening their calls for a national response.

“What New York City is facing right now is a municipality that is carrying a national issue on its back,” said Camille Joseph Verlack, the mayor’s chief of staff on Morning’s On 1 on Friday.

“This crisis originated with the federal government and it must be resolved through the federal government,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday in a public address to New York State.

Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 18 other state attorneys general, sent a letter to the Biden administration asking for expedited work authorizations for newly arrived migrants.

The letter argued that newly arrived asylum seekers are placing a burden on cities and states to provide food, shelter and resources.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency amid a surge in migrants in her state. The Democrat also fired off a letter to the Department of Homeland Security asking for additional help.

“To our partners in the federal government, Massachusetts has stepped up to address what sadly has been a federal crisis of inaction that is many years in the making. We can no longer do this alone. We need federal partnership, federal funding and urgent federal action to meet this moment…” read the letter dated Aug. 8, 2023.

Meanwhile, in the city, some elected Democrats are now joining rallies against proposed migrant sites.

State Senator Roxanne Persaud attended a rally on Thursday night against using Floyd Bennett Field to house thousands of migrants.

“Floyd Bennett Field is prone to flooding. You cannot pitch tents on the tarmac there and expect people to live there,” said Persaud about the location.

The pleading comes as a new Siena Poll shows that the support of President Biden in New York is slipping.

The poll showed that 50% of New Yorkers view Biden unfavorably compared to 46% who view him favorably.

The poll could potentially be the first signs of a fraught political environment Biden will be contending with nationally as the migrant crisis stretches on.

“We need assistance from the people who are in power to do that, and that’s the federal government. If the federal government decide today to step up and take control of the situation, we’d be in a better place,” said Persaud.