September 1, 2023
Hon. Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Hochul:
As you know, New York is facing a crisis that has intensified over the past year and shows
no sign of slowing down. More than 100,000 migrants have arrived in New York and the impacts
are being felt in communities across the state. A recent poll showed that 82 percent of New Yorkers
believe the influx of migrants is a serious problem, and their concerns are legitimate. We are
witnessing severe repercussions on state and local finances, our education and court systems,
public safety, the housing industry, and the capabilities of community service providers. Less than
a year ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams requested $1 billion to pay for migrant shelters and
services. He now estimates those costs will reach $12 billion.
We, the members of the Assembly Republican Conference, urge you to convene an
extraordinary session of the Legislature to address the issue head-on.
To date, the federal government has failed to provide a level of assistance that would
alleviate the mounting pressures the state is experiencing. It’s undeniable that this problem was
created and exacerbated by a complete lack of action at the southern border. Under the Biden
Administration, migrant encounters have reached unprecedented levels. According to U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) there have been approximately 5.9 million border
encounters in the 31 months President Biden has been in office. In comparison, during the 31
months prior to January 2021, CBP reported just 1.8 million border encounters.
With the lack of appropriate action coming from Washington D.C. and little reason to
believe immediate help is on the way, the duly elected representatives of New York have a
responsibility to take matters into their own hands. An extraordinary session of the Legislature
would allow us to reassure constituents that decisive steps are being taken and offer clarity at a
time when transparency has been missing and solutions are overdue. Assembly Republicans have
introduced several pieces of legislation and will continue to offer proposals, including measures
that will:
• 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. 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.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Will Barclay Joseph Angelino
Assembly Minority Leader 121st Assembly District
Anil Beephan Scott Bendett
105th Assembly District 107th Assembly District
Kenneth D. Blankenbush Jacob Blumencranz
117th Assembly District 15th Assembly District
Karl Brabenec Alec Brook-Krasny
98th Assembly District 46th Assembly District
Ari Brown Keith P. Brown
20th Assembly District 12th Assembly District
Marjorie L. Byrnes Lester Chang
133rd Assembly District 49th Assembly District
Brian Curran Joseph P. DeStefano
21st Assembly District 3rd Assembly District
David J. DiPietro Michael Durso
147th Assembly District 9th Assembly District
Michael J. Fitzpatrick Edward A. Flood
8th Assembly District 4th Assembly District
Christopher S. Friend Jeffery Gallahan
124th Assembly District 131st Assembly District
Jarett Gandolfo Jodi Giglio
7th Assembly District 2nd Assembly District
Joseph M. Giglio Andrew Goodell
148th Assembly District 150th Assembly District
Scott A. Gray Stephen M. Hawley
116th Assembly District 139th Assembly District
Joshua T. Jensen John Lemondes, Jr.
134th Assembly District 126th Assembly District
Brian Maher Brian D. Manktelow
101st Assembly District 130th Assembly District
David G. McDonough John W. McGowan
14th Assembly District 97th Assembly District
John Mikulin Brian D. Miller
17th Assembly District 122nd Assembly District
Angelo J. Morinello Michael J. Norris
145th Assembly District 144th Assembly District
Michael Novakhov Philip A. Palmesano
45th Assembly District 132ndAssembly District
Samuel T. Pirozzolo Edward P. Ra
63rd Assembly District 19th Assembly District
Michael W. Reilly, Jr. Matthew Simpson
62nd Assembly District 114th Assembly District
Matthew J. Slater Douglas M. Smith
94th Assembly District 5th Assembly District
Robert J. Smullen Christopher Tague
118th Assembly District 102nd Assembly District
Michael Tannousis Mary Beth Walsh
64th Assembly District 112th Assembly District
