Violence continues to escalate on the streets of New York as certain migrants who have sought asylum add to the chaos. Unfortunately, the prospects of reaching a border security agreement seem bleak.
The Senate rejected the bipartisan compromise, which included certain border restrictions and modifications to the asylum process. Moreover, Republicans in the House disapproved of it as well.
In a pre-taped interview for PIX on Politics, Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the importance of managing the border effectively to ensure that public safety is not compromised and to provide assistance to the cities affected by the situation.
Adams once again criticized both parties in Congress and the White House for their failure to unite on the immigration issue. Governor Kathy Hochul, in turn, placed the blame on the 10 Republicans who represent New York in Congress.
“Let’s head over to Speaker Johnson’s office and let him know that our state is in dire need of assistance,” Hochul urged on Friday.
One of the Representatives who shares this viewpoint is Nicole Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island and Brooklyn. According to Malliotakis, the proposed bipartisan border security bill falls short of addressing the issue adequately. Additionally, she believes that the implementation of local sanctuary policies by the Mayor and Governor has exacerbated the situation.
Malliotakis and her Republican colleagues argue that their GOP House Bill: H.R. 2, criticized by Democrats as being too severe on undocumented workers and migrant children, aims to effectively protect the border and limit asylum claims.
Malliotakis also pointed out that President Biden has the power to provide immediate relief to New York. She, along with Republicans, has urged him to reinstate Trump-era policies, such as mandating individuals to wait in their home counties for asylum.
“We never experienced a crisis like this in New York with any other president until Joe Biden took office,” she asserted.
However, there have been accusations against Republicans for acting in bad faith. Former President Trump himself openly stated that he does not support a border compromise at the moment for purely political reasons.
Malliotakis does not have high expectations for a deal and she thinks that Democrats are only pushing for it now because they can see that voters are becoming frustrated with the immigration issue.
“It will be quite challenging to achieve any progress as long as the Senate fails to pass a bill,” she expressed. “We have already passed our bill, and it is now their turn to do the same, enabling us to address the disparities through reconciliation. However, entering an Election Year complicates matters further as everyone seems to be engaged in political maneuvering.”
The Senate, led by Chuck Schumer of New York, is proceeding with a foreign aid package that does not include immigration reform. This decision comes after failing to secure sufficient support from Republican colleagues.