This week, Democratic lawmakers in New York City demonstrated in front of City Hall against the Biden administration’s handling of the ongoing immigration crisis they said had taken over the area.
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, a Democrat from Queens, coordinated the demonstration and referred to the issue as “one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises the city of New York has ever faced.”
“Not only are there 60 elected officials involved in this remarkable citywide alliance, but also employers, unions, church groups, migrants, and those who provide care for migrants inside shelters. The entire city is literally assembling to request President Biden’s immediate action,” according to Rajkumar.
She urged the Biden administration to swiftly issue permits for employment and create a plan to house migrants, many of whom are camped out on city sidewalks since there aren’t enough shelters for them to stay in.
“The president’s sleeping at the wheel on this one, folks, and I am a Democrat,” remarked Queens City Councilman Robert Holden. “The Biden administration is nowhere to be seen.”
The Biden administration said last week that it will designate a staff member to work with City Hall to plan a response after Democratic Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly asked for assistance from the federal government over the course of the previous year. Local officials, though, assert that it won’t sufficiently address the ongoing issue.
“It is not going to be getting any better,” Adams declared. “The rest is downhill from here. There isn’t any more space.”
Lynn Shulman, a city councilwoman from Queens, likewise expressed her profound dissatisfaction with the Democratic White House’s attitude to the surge of asylum-seeking immigrants.
“To the melody of Mrs. Robinson, and in the famous lines of the renowned singing duo Simon and Garfunkel, who were raised in my district: ‘Where have you gone, President Biden? New York City looks at you with lonely eyes,’” Shulman said. “Please, Mr. President, assist us.”
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (D) defended the city’s status as a safe haven while pleading with the White House to provide greater assistance and “finally show up.”
“They’re not wanted by these other states? We’ll gladly accept them,” Reynoso replied.”But with that obligation comes the requirement for allies in the federal government to promise to assist in resolving the issues brought on by the immigration crisis in New York City.”
Mark Levine, a Democrat and the head of the Manhattan Borough described the rally this week as a “cry for help.”
“If you had informed me over a year ago that the U.S. government wouldn’t mobilize to assist over 100,000 people in need during a serious refugee crisis, I wouldn’t have believed you. But that is exactly the situation that we are in right now in New York,” Levine said.
