. ” August 24, 2023 ‘The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jt. President of the United States ‘The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 ear President Biden: "New York State has been working with the City of New York fo manage the atival of a significant numberof migrants and individuals seeking asylum in New York over the past yea ‘This influx has stretched the City’s and State's resources, created tremendous operational and ‘management challenges, and imposed overwhelming demands onthe City’s homeless shelters. T ‘wrote to you earlier this year to ask for the use of certain federal properties to provide temporary shelter. While I appreciate you taking initial steps to assist the State inthis regard and your longstanding commitment to an equitable approach to immigration atthe Southwest border, the challenges we face demand a much more vigorous federal response. With the arrival of over 100,000 asylum seekers and migrants inthe past year, coupled with the sustained arrival of hundreds if not thousands to the City every week, the federal government must partner with the City and State in handling this humanitarian crisis, ‘The City and the Sate have provided significant funding, staffing, and case management for these arrivals to date, I write to you today to express a most urgent need forthe federal goverament to take executive action and direct significant financial assistance to address this challenge. ‘There are several key steps that the federal government must take to meet its responsibilities to New York First, the federal government must expedite work authorizations. New York has a very strong job market, and the State is commited to providing job placement services to those sho have work authorization and to resetting individuals and families who have applied for asylum, Today, many asylum seekers and migrants need both shelter and financial assistance for ‘an indefinite period simply because they cannot legally workin the United Sates. Work. ‘authorization would enable thse individuals to resettle in communities more quickly. The {federal government can expedite work authorizations through executive actions lke granting and extending Temporary Protected Status, specifically for countries like Venezuela, whichAugust 24,2023 Page2 ‘constitute a significant portion of the arriving population and where the situation on the ground ‘continues to deteriorate. [also support the use ofthe humanitarian parole program for individuals from other counties, We cannot make progress in mitigating the humanitarian exis Wwe face in New York without these essential ations by the federal government Second, the federal government must provide the State and the City with significant financial assistance, The State has already committed over $1.5 billion, and based on the ‘curent trajectory and planning, this crisis could cost the State an additional $4.5 billion next year. According to New York City Mayor Erie Adams, the City projects thatthe eos tothe City ‘wil be $12 billion to suppor the arriving asylum seekers and migrans. ‘The City and the State are incurring these unexpected expenditures in the midst of declining tax revenues while costs are tsing. This isa finaneial burden the City and State are shouldering on behalf of the federal government. While the State appreciates the $145 million contribution that the federal goverment has made to this effor, this allotment of funds is insufficient. The costs to provide services and assistance to migrants acriving in New York are high and the need for federal assistance is clear, ‘© Healtheare and Human Services: The State needs funding from the federal government ‘pay to test the migrants for illnesses that might pose a threat to public health and to provide Covid-19 vaccine and other immunizations; to offSet state program costs through tn increase in federal cost sharing under the Medicaid program (FMAP); and to support comprehensive ease management services. + ‘Transportation: The Fedeval Transit Administration has an Emergeney Relief program, and we call on the federal government to direct funds from this program to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) fr fee transportation services provided to migrants and asylum seekers, To date, the MTA has spent over $2.3 million for these services and the costs will continue o rise. The MTA has had to raise fares for New York commuters to close its budget gap and the MTA cannot provide free transport services for migrants on an ongoing besis without federal financial assistance. ‘+ Housing Assistance: The Department of Housing and Urban Development as housing subsidy programs, including Section 8 housing vouchers, that should be provided to cligible homeless families and individuals to help them move into permanent housing, 0 relieve the pressure onthe City's shelters, and to decrease the City’s significant costs 10 shelter elsewhere, ‘+ Education: The Department of Education must work with the City and the State fo surge resources to school districts seeing the dramatic increases in their student population asa direct rooult of tis ctsi. Many of the sriving migrants are families with ehildeen who are enrolling in public school and need Fnglish as a Second Language and other support ‘Third, the federal government has key facilities inthe City and metropolitan area ‘thatthe State and the City urgently need for temporary shelters. The New York City shelter system i eating for over $8,500 asylum seekers and migrants, and the number continues to grow Dy the thousands each week The City has opened more than 200 shelters in response to this crisis and is out of space. Additionally, the State has provided multiple state-owned fucilities including the former Lincoln Correctional Facility, Building 197 at John F. Kennedy Airport,‘August 24, 2023, Page 3 and space on the Creedmoor Psychiatrie Hospital eampus. The City and State are quickly running out of viable locations to house asylum seekers and migrants. Additional federal assistance to identify, prepare, and operate new sites on federally owned assets is essential, Lam {grateful fr the efforts of your Administration to make Floyd Bennett Field available, However, there are other properties the federal government ovins that should also be made available for this purpose, Fourth, the federal government should reimburse the State for the costs of deploying the National Guard. ‘The State is incurring costs of over $22 million per month to ‘support approximately 1,950 National Guard members, who are deployed in the City and 10 Counties to assist with humanitarian operations. This isan expense most appropriately bore by the federal government. Title 32 of the United States Code provides those who perform active ‘duty understate control with pay and benefits by the federal goverament, T understand thatthe federal government hus authorized the use ofthe Title 32 authority inthe past o reimburse states for costs associated withthe deployment ofthe National Guard to assist with immigrants ariving in the United States. Im calling on the federal govemament to provide that same level of rssistance to New York, either through a Tite 32 authorization or through another funding mechanism. Jn summary, New York City and New York Stat ae deploying all availble resources and sta fo manage tis immigration evisis. New York isa sate with tremendous talent, capability, compassion, and potetil. No challenge is too great, and we ate stepping upto handle this mission, However, the flow of asylum seekers and migrants into New York is continuing at high and undated level. Tei the federal government's diet responsibility to ‘manage and contol of the nation's borders. Without any eapacity or responsibilty to address the cause ofthe migrant intTux, New Yorkers cannot then shoulder these costs. Teannot ask New Yorkers to pay for what is fundamentally a federal responsiility and urge the federal, government to take prompt an significant action today to meet its obligation to New York State ‘Thank you for your continued leadership for our nation on ths issue and so many others.