Hawley among 48 GOP Assembly seeking legislative session about migrant influx

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) has joined 47 other Assembly Republicans in calling on Gov. Hochul to convene an extraordinary legislative session to address the influx of migrants across the state.

Over 100,000 migrants have arrived in New York and communities and localities are struggling to face the issue, Hawley said.

He believes a special session would help to implement much-needed reforms such as instituting background checks for incoming immigrants and giving municipalities the ability to choose whether they want to take in migrants.

“Right now, our state is experiencing one of the largest migrant crises in the country, with little support from the federal government,” Hawley said. “Migrants are being shipped upstate from the city and our communities are helpless to do anything. A special session is needed to provide relief for our state and hold our leaders accountable.”

The letter from the Assembly members to Hochul includes their proposals, such as:

• Require the state Comptroller to examine and audit all state and federal funds received and appropriated for humanitarian aid in New York City or any municipality (A.7508, Ra);
• Require New York state to register all migrants in order to assist with background checks and monitoring refugees seeking asylum in the state (A.7319-A, Slater);
• Protect counties and municipalities from “Right to Shelter” confusion by requiring local governing bodies in New York state to opt-in to accept migrants from other jurisdictions;
• Ensure funding is not used to shelter migrants in schools, daycare centers, or community- based organizations;
• Reverse the Executive Order of 2017 that prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration law. This would end New York’s status as an illegal immigration sanctuary;
• Adopt a resolution calling on the federal government to provide financial assistance to the state and properly address the border crisis it created.

“We believe that effective solutions to New York’s migrant crisis must involve these and other legislative proposals,” according to the letter. “During this unprecedented crisis, we must act and correct the mistakes that have brought us to this point. Twenty million New Yorkers we represent deserve nothing less.”