Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) suggested that the United States is a nation of immigrants when responding to a question about the growing influx of immigrants to the border, with many making their way to New York.
The New York governor was asked if she would support changing the law to prevent immigrants from flooding major cities in the U.S., such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois. Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams renewed a call to change the city’s sanctuary laws because the Big Apple has been one of the top destinations for immigrants.
“Well, first of all, let’s just say we are a nation of immigrants,” Hochul said in an appearance on The View. “I’m sitting here because my grandparents were teenagers in Ireland leaving great poverty. Grandpa started as a migrant farm worker himself in South Dakota in the wheat fields. They were domestic servants in Chicago until they heard about the promised land of Buffalo, New York. You could make steel with your hands and get a good-paying job, and that’s what changed my whole family’s history.”
Hochul then added that there are 460,000 jobs available in the state of New York right now but called for a legal path for immigrants who wish to enter the U.S. She also called for members of both political parties to work together on legislation to help immigrants, calling immigration a “federal problem.”
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The call by Adams to change sanctuary city laws entailed asking for more accountability for immigrants suspected of committing violent crimes; the mayor also asked for more collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Earlier this year, several immigrants were arrested after allegedly assaulting police officers outside a Times Square immigrant shelter.
In December, Adams criticized President Joe Biden for failing to address New York City’s growing immigrant situation, claiming the federal government had abandoned “this important issue.” Adams also claimed he has had to deal with “angry” New York residents over this topic.
