New York Governor’s Dramatic U-Turn on Migrant Housing

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul reversed her stance on housing asylum seekers in the city.

Just three years ago, she pledged to welcome and protect these individuals, but now, she is advising them to seek refuge elsewhere. This dramatic shift in policy left many questioning the sincerity of her initial promise.

Back in 2021, Governor Hochul made a heartfelt commitment to house and safeguard asylum seekers.

She invoked the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, promising to welcome the ‘tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free’ with open arms. However, the reality today paints a starkly different picture.

The governor recently warned New York City no longer has the capacity to accommodate incoming asylum seekers in hotel rooms as it had been doing.

This abrupt change in policy comes in the wake of an overwhelming influx of migrants into the city. Since last spring, over 113,000 migrants have arrived in New York City, putting immense pressure on the city’s resources.

The city, under legal obligation to provide shelter to those who arrive, has been struggling to find suitable accommodations for this massive influx of people.

Mayor Eric Adams has also expressed his concerns about the situation. He estimates that the migrant crisis could cost the city around $12 billion in just three years.

Like Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams had a change of heart regarding the city’s approach to migrants. Last year, he welcomed a bus full of asylum seekers from Texas; now, he is pleading for federal and state aid to manage the crisis.

The city’s ‘Right to Shelter’ policy, which guarantees a bed for anyone in need, has been under scrutiny. In May, Mayor Adams made significant changes to this 40-year-old law, calling for federal and state assistance to handle the surge of migrants.

By July, he was advising newly arrived migrants to consider other cities as New York was running out of room.

This dramatic U-turn by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams raises serious questions about their initial promises. It also highlights the challenges faced by cities like New York in managing large-scale migrant influxes.