Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams laud Biden administration's move to limit migrants crossing Southern border
NEW YORK -- As the Biden administration takes the first steps to reduce the number of people entering the United States at the Mexican border, Gov. Kathy Hochul is taking a victory lap, saying it is the result of intense lobbying on the part of herself and Mayor Eric Adams.
It's unclear whether the president's move will effect the midterm elections across the nation, but Hochul says the decision to limit the number of Venezuelan asylum seekers allowed to enter the U.S. will really help New York cope with a migrant crisis that is growing more desperate by the day, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Thursday.
"I believe it is going to change the dynamic very quickly," Hochul said.
READ MORE: Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for federal response to New York's migrant crisis
The governor is certainly not ready to say crisis averted. After all, New York City is still coping with a migrant emergency and the need to find shelter for the 19,400-plus asylum seekers who have arrived here so far, forcing the city to erect a tent city on Randall's Island.
But she and Mayor Adams say it's a good first step to turn away Venezuelan asylum seekers at the border and limit to 24,000 the number who can apply remotely. If they are accepted, they will have to fly to the U.S., rather than make the dangerous trek to the Mexican border.
"We're going to start seeing the flow of individuals stemmed. They're going to be stopping at the border," Hochul said.
Adams said the move was a short-term solution to the humanitarian crisis. He called for a long-term strategy that " ... includes Congress both passing legislation that will allow asylum seekers to legally work and providing emergency financial relief for our city."
READ MORE: Staten Island residents, lawmakers sound off on borough's 2 emergency shelters for migrants
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Venezuelan asylum seekers will have to meet strict eligibility requirements, including having a supporter in the U.S. who can provide financial and other support, passing a public safety screening, and having certain vaccinations and meeting other public health requirements.
The president's decision was also an attempt to avoid a political donnybrook during the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, where Democrats are worried about losing control of the House, the Senate, or both.
Kramer talked about the issue with Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He appeared with her on "The Point."
"But is 24,000, a limit of 24,000, too little given the fact that in September, alone, 33,000 Venezuelans tried to cross the border from Mexico into the United States," Kramer asked.
"Mexico needs to be our partner in this, but that's not the same thing as allowing illegal border crossings, which are dangerous and should not be encouraged or permitted. The numbers should be large enough to address our share of that need," Maloney said.
Mayor Adams has said the influx of migrants will cost the city $1 billion during this fiscal year.
