Hochul: Not enough “general public interest” in migrants to bring it up in a State of the Union speech

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday she didn’t talk about the huge influx of migrants to the five boroughs when she unveiled her 2023 legislative priorities Tuesday because the issue isn’t important enough for New Yorkers.

“My State of the State has hundreds of other proposals to discuss. I focused on my key areas of wide interest across the state – housing, mental health issues, child care and the minimum wage,” she told reporters of her speech, covering topics from rising crime to community gardens.

While Hochul declared a lack of interest, New York Mayor Eric Adams warned that the continued arrival of tens of thousands of people on buses from other states like Texas could bankrupt the Big Apple given the cost of accommodating them.

“This is an expensive undertaking that we are in, and we must find ways to complete this task without bankrupting the city,” he said.

Hochul joined Adams’ call for the feds to pay the bill, arguing that migrants could give the state more support if they were allowed to work legally.

“As we said yesterday, there was much to celebrate in Governor Hole’s address, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Governor on a number of issues, including the topic of asylum seekers, in the upcoming budget,” Adams spokesman Fabien Levy said. said about Hochul’s comments on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Hochul took time to reminisce about her parents starting their “married life in a trailer park” before boasting about her time as governor, including a deal her administration helped set up a new microchip center in the Syracuse area.

“We had many conversations with the mayor about the needs of the city. We’ll talk about things as the process progresses, but we’ve also invested heavily – millions of dollars – in providing legal services to newcomers, because that’s how they get on the road to opportunity, on the road to opportunity. to get a status to be able to get a job,” Hochul added on Wednesday.

However, newly elected Hochul steered the conversation away from the thorny issue Tuesday by enjoying a 47-minute speech to Albany lawmakers ahead of budget talks.

The word “migration” entered the one-sided conversation only when she outlined how she would deal with the “emigration” of New Yorkers to other states.

“This issue has gone from non-existent to near-existent, and the mayor should not be the only elected Democratic official pressuring the Biden administration for help,” R-Staten Island City Councilman Joe Borelli told The Post. .

“It should have been at least an advertisement,” he added.

A 277-page fact sheet provided to reporters included several references to how Hochul could offer tens of thousands of new residents, many of whom speak only Spanish, the social services and support they need to start a new life. in New York.

Republican Senator George Borrello (R-Jamestown) suggested that Hochul may have reason to keep migrants in the background during his State of the Union address while making his case on other contentious issues such as possible reform changes. pledge.

“I think that this is a minus for her, no matter how she relates to this. Eric Adams calls it a crisis that has a huge negative impact on New York. But she knows that progressives support the idea of ​​a sanctuary city,” he said.