The Biden border crisis comes home to New York

New York is in tough shape. Between the rising costs of goods, a deteriorating public safety situation and an ever-increasing tax burden on residents, New Yorkers have faced a slew of issues brought about by policy failures from Albany to the White House. Sadly, already beleaguered residents must also now shoulder the burden of a migrant crisis with serious security and financial implications, thanks to the Biden administration’s failure to secure our borders, as well as the “sanctuary state/city” policies of Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
It is estimated that since the beginning of President Biden’s tenure, 1.6 million migrants have evaded capture by law enforcement personnel while making their way into the United States. This is a startling number, particularly when you consider that 146 people whose names appear on the federal terrorist watch list were stopped trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in the first 10 months of this year. While those individuals were captured, there’s no telling how many more slipped past authorities among the 1.6 million who got away, and what their destinations were.
What we do know, however, is that New York was the final destination for over 110,000 migrants who have arrived here since April 2022. Drawn by Hochul’s and Adams’ regular declarations of New York’s sanctuary status, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities — as well as the Big Apple’s “right to shelter” law, guaranteeing housing to all — migrants continue to pour into the state at a record pace.
Indeed, the mass arrivals have strained finances, particularly in New York City, where Adams recently announced a sweeping 5 percent budget cut for all city agencies in order to divert additional resources for migrant support. What’s more, the cost of housing these migrants will total north of $12 billion over the next three years — precious taxpayer funding that will be diverted from New York’s longstanding homeless population, public safety/law enforcement, and a long list of social service programs.
I have been working hard at the federal level to present positive alternatives to the failing policies of our “leaders” currently occupying the White House, the governor’s mansion and Gracie Mansion. Earlier this year, I was proud to join fellow House Republicans in passing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023. This sweeping legislation would provide further funding to Customs and Border Protection, and includes provisions to enhance border security infrastructure, combat the exploitation and trafficking of unaccompanied children, and much more.

I strongly urge my colleagues in the Senate to adopt this legislation and send it to President Biden for his signature. Every moment they don’t, this migrant crisis worsens both in New York and across the country.
On the local and state front, I will continue standing alongside everyday New Yorkers who are tired of Hochul’s and Adams’ progressive policies, which have caused chaos on our streets, migrants being crammed into hangars at Kennedy Airport as well as in schools, and impending cuts to government services.
The United States is a great country founded on the American dream — the dream that led my ancestors to settle on these shores. I firmly believe in keeping that dream alive and welcoming newcomers to this country, but our current immigration system is failing that dream. We must take immediate action from the top down to correct that failure.

Anthony D’Esposito represents the 4th Congressional District.