NY governor issues emergency order to handle influx of asylum-seekers

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Tuesday issued an emergency order to help New York City deal with an expected influx of asylum-seekers when the Title 42 immigration policy expires on Thursday. 

“For more than a year, we have been working closely with Mayor [Eric] Adams to provide support and advocate for federal resources to address the large numbers of asylum seekers arriving in New York City,” Hochul said in a release. 

“With Title 42 set to expire, the circumstances on the ground are expected to change significantly, and this Executive Order will be an important part of our coordinated response. I have spoken to Mayor Adams and County Executives throughout New York as we work to address this situation,” Hochul added.   

Title 42, a pandemic-era policy used to block asylum-seekers at the border, expires Thursday with the end of the national COVID-19 emergency declaration, returning migrant processing to the system used under Title 8. 

Many are sounding alarms about an expected surge of migrants to the border once Title 42 expires. 

Hochul’s order will let New York mobilize an additional 500 National Guard members and quickly purchase needed supplies and resources as authorities respond to new arrivals. 

New York City has been dealing with an increase in migrants to the city for months, particularly due to governors in GOP-led states busing migrants north to Democrat-led cities in protest of Biden administration border policies. Adams has knocked congressional Republicans and the White House over the issue.