Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office recently criticized Republican members of New York’s congressional delegation for their lack of action in addressing the migrant crisis. Kathryn Garcia, the State Director of Operations, wrote a letter accusing the lawmakers of not taking any action to help with the national crisis and waiting until recently to express their concerns to the administration. This was in response to a letter sent by nine Republican Congressional representatives in January, accusing Hochul of not supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to secure the U.S. Southern Border and President Biden of failing to secure New York’s northern border with Canada.
Garcia’s letter highlighted that the Republicans have refused to deliver immigration reforms that could help ease the number of migrants coming to New York, despite Hochul’s calls for significant federal aid. She called for bipartisan collaboration to find a serious solution to the crisis, indicating that the administration is willing to work with them.
The letter from Garcia came two days after negotiators in the Democrat-controlled Senate announced a bipartisan agreement on a national security bill that would change the way asylum seekers are processed at the U.S. southern border. However, Garcia noted in the letter that there has been no indication that the Republican representatives support this bipartisan compromise.
In response, Rep. Elise Stefanik accused Hochul and Biden of trying to pass the buck on the migrant crisis. This exchange of letters reflects the deep divide between the Democratic-led administration and the Republican congressional delegation in New York in addressing the migrant crisis and highlights the need for bipartisan collaboration to find a solution. As the crisis continues, it remains to be seen whether the two sides can work together to address the pressing issue.
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