L.I. Senators Call on The Governor To Protect The Welfare and Safety of New York Residents By Ending Sanctuary State Status

Floral Park, NY – Republican State Senators and Assembly Members today joined Congressman Nick Lalota to call on Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams to rescind the sanctuary state and sanctuary city status they self-imposed, and urge all state democrats to stand behind them calling on President Biden to secure the southern border.

“Washington and Albany Democrats' dismal efforts to address the migrant crisis has been a complete failure. While they cast aspersions on Republicans for using migrants as ' political pawns' and 'chattel', they are busy building tent cities and bussing migrants throughout the state without community input or local support. New York's sanctuary policies are the sole cause of this crisis and the Democrats' years of grandstanding and gesture to the progressives has painted them into a corner. As such, their total cowardice to call this problem what it is results in a more dangerous and expensive burden on the taxpaying citizens of New York State and the Nation. Let's put the politics away and call for a plan and funding to back the plan up. Being in government is hard and sometimes you have to actually fight for the right thing, not tiptoe around your political party's polling results. New York State must simply say "no" and stem the tide of the migrant wave that has no end in sight,” said Senator Anthony Palumbo - 1st Senatorial District.

"We have a governor that can rescind the sanctuary state she created, and a mayor that can rescind the sanctuary city that he created. Instead, Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams are choosing to hide behind the federal government, putting all New Yorkers at risk and using billions of taxpayer dollars to care, house, and feed the constant influx of illegal immigrants streaming into our state. New Yorkers are facing food insecurities and rising costs of living, making it hard enough to live here as it is. It is an injustice being done. Governor Hochul needs to use her emergency powers to protect New Yorkers. She must rescind the sanctuary state and hold the Biden administration responsible. They have endangered New Yorkers by implementing these unfair circumstances, designating New York a sanctuary state, and their poor vetting process, creating a dangerous situation for everyone," said Senator Mario Mattera - 2nd Senatorial District.

"Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams need to remember exactly who put them in office and who they are supposed to be representing. We don't have unlimited resources, which means that all of the money being spent to shelter, clothe and feed a migrant population that just arrived, is money that is not being spent on resources to help our seniors, our veterans, our children and other legal, tax-paying, U.S. citizens that are struggling to survive," said NYS Senator Dean Murray - 3rd Senatorial District.

“Make no mistake. This migrant crisis is the direct result of the inept and dangerous policies of the Biden Administration that has permitted nearly 7 million illegal border crossings in just the last 20 months. Extreme New York City politicians have exacerbated the problem by making New York a “sanctuary city.” We are all now dealing with the financial, public safety, and humanitarian consequences of their irresponsibility. While we are a nation of immigrants, laws governing immigration exist to ensure the safety of citizens and ensure that our infrastructure can handle the level of immigrants who enter the country. President Biden’s “open borders” policy has created chaos for localities. Nassau is not a sanctuary county because we knew that adopting that policy would overwhelm resources, create budgetary havoc, and expose residents to dangers associated with people who have not been properly vetted. New York is already facing a projected $36 billion dollar deficit and Governor Hochul continues to promote more taxpayer funded incentives to migrants. Sanctuary city policies will only cause the deficit to skyrocket and devastate taxpayers. Although Governor Hochul has promised she won’t move the migrants, we must remain vigilant as Mayor Adams is seeking to export this self-inflicted crisis to Long Island. The answer must be a resounding “NO,” said Senator Steven Rhoads - 5th Senatorial District.

"The Hochul and the Biden administration have disregarded safety and fiscal responsibility by allowing an unprecedented influx of illegal migrants. Hochul’s self-imposed status designating New York as a sanctuary state is more than we can handle. They now realize they can't afford their irresponsible decisions and expect our struggling communities to foot the bill. Hochul needs to rescind her sanctuary state executive order and start putting New Yorkers first," said Senator Alexis Weik - 8th Senatorial District.

"While the federal government needs to step up to address the root of this crisis, it is critical that state and local officials formulate a long-term plan that stops increasing the burden on hard-working New Yorkers who can’t shoulder more. Nassau County has been adversely affected by the dire humanitarian crisis created by the Democrats' failed "sanctuary" and open border policies, which have resulted in chaos throughout the county and state. The Governor needs to take immediate action to protect the residents of New York,” said Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick - 9th Senatorial District.

“President Biden continues to say the American border is closed which is belied by the fact that millions of foreign nationals have simply walked into America on his watch. This puts his incompetence and dishonesty on display for the world to see. The first act of those entering America is to flout our law, and then to demand free housing to be paid for by us. President Biden, Governor Hochul and the leaders of their party clearly hate our constitution and the liberty it stands to preserve. Governor Hochul calls it a crisis but we know it is her, and her party’s plan. She is complicit with these acts to defraud New Yorkers by coordinating the migrants unlawful move to the State. The governor lacks compassion for our neighbors whose only crime is that they are American citizens. Her policies have increased crime and the cost of living for New Yorkers and now she wants us to pay for housing for foreign nationals,” said Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza - 24th Senatorial District.

"The safety and security of our citizens is under threat due to the reckless policies of sanctuary states like New York. By declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, they have opened the floodgates to unchecked migration and all the dangers that come with it. The people of Long Island have had enough. We Republican legislators of the Senate and Assembly are taking a firm stand, calling on Governor Hochul and the Democrats in the legislature to immediately revoke this misguided sanctuary status," said NYS Assemblyman Ari Brown - 20th Assembly District.

“New York City’s migrant crisis is a predictable result of New York State’s and New York City’s reckless sanctuary city policies. Now, NYC Mayor Adams is looking to make Long Islanders pay for the financial, educational, and public safety costs of the crisis he created. Suffolk County has long rejected sanctuary policies and should not have to bear the burden of New York City’s failures. They created the problem, now they need to fix it,” said Congressman Nick Lalota - 1st NY Congressional District.