Nassau Standard

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is at the center of a political dispute with Republicans over her proposed budget allocation of $2.4 billion to assist migrants in the state. In a recent budget presentation, Hochul defended her decision to draw $500 million from state reserves for the migrant crisis, stating, “This will help manage the migrant crisis for a total of $2.4 billion.”

The proposed budget also includes changes to school funding that have sparked criticism from Republicans. Sen. Jack Martins, a Republican from Long Island, accused the governor of prioritizing the migrant crisis over education, saying, “At a time when she's cutting education for our children, she's prioritizing spending $2.4 billion on a self-created migrant crisis.”

Hochul has refuted claims of a connection between the migrant crisis and school funding, urging Republicans to focus on bipartisan immigration reform at the federal level. She likened the situation to “somebody sets their house on fire and then complains because it takes so long for the fire department to respond.”

The governor has called on New York’s Republican congressional delegation to support an immigration reform deal with bipartisan backing in the U.S. Senate. She emphasized the potential benefits of the deal, stating, “they have enough of a voice to work together with the Democrats and have enough votes to make sure that this can become a reality.”

Despite opposition from Republicans, Senate Democrats have expressed their support for restoring school aid cuts while acknowledging the need to address the migrant crisis. Sen. Jim Tedisco, a Republican from Saratoga County, affirmed his commitment to protecting education funding, declaring, “I and my conference are not going to go quietly into the night if this or any other budget tries to balance itself on the backs of our kids, their education, their future, or the taxpayers of New York state.”

In the midst of escalating tensions, it is evident that the political divide over New York’s migrant crisis continues to deepen, with contrasting views on how state resources should be allocated to address the complex challenges at hand.