Mayor Eric Adams headed to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to ask the Biden administration, yet again, for its help in addressing the city’s migrant crisis.
Adams joined Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and other members of the city’s congressional delegation at a meeting with Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Afterwards, members of Congress in attendance told NY1 the meeting was constructive and yielded some commitments.
“We’re at a moment where the administration needs to make a decision,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. “I feel positive about us getting to that soon.”
According to Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Department of Homeland Security is assigning a liaison to the city, and federal officials discussed how the administration can legally expedite work permits for asylum seekers.
“We cannot afford to have a situation where individuals are waiting for hearings and can’t work. In fact, they should be required to work,” Meeks told NY1. “Because if they’re working, that’s more tax money for us, and then they would not have to receive any taxpayer dollars or anything else.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul has been an ally of the Adams administration, which yesterday announced the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus in Queens would soon house a migrant relief center, with the state picking up the costs.
On Thursday, Hochul said she’s requested that the federally-owned Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn be used to house migrants.
She also said the Biden administration is working to identify other federal sites.
“They have promised me this: As a result of our approach, they’re saying they’re looking at GSA sites,” she said at an unrelated news conference, referring to the federal General Services Administration. “They’re in the process of identifying federal government sites, which is important That’s a development that I hope will come to fruition with announcements in the near future. They’re working hard to find a path on work authorization.”
Elected officials emphasize that New York’s leaders are united. This week, 54 state and city elected officials signed on to a letter asking Biden to declare a state of emergency, among other demands.
And Hochul said she’s had near-daily communications with the White House on the need for space, work authorizations and funding.
“I’ve had this conversation with the president. I’ve had the conversation with our leaders in Congress as recently as last night, this morning, the day before,” she said. “So it is non-stop. I’m hoping there’s going to be a breakthrough before too long as a result of all of our efforts.”