NY Gov. Hochul declares state of emergency over expected migrant influx

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Tuesday ahead of an expected influx of migrants in the coming days, relaxing laws to make it easier for the state to quickly lease space and purchase supplies to house the new arrivals.

Hochul’s executive order comes two days before the expiration of the federal Title 42 order, a COVID-era policy that allows the U.S. government to turn away migrants at the border, including asylum-seekers.

The order also comes as elected officials in the city's northern suburbs continue to raise concerns about Mayor Eric Adams' plans to send migrants to hotels in the Hudson Valley, with the Rockland and Orange county executives issuing separate local emergency declarations in an attempt to block it from happening.

Hochul’s staff informed county officials from across the state of her statewide order on a Tuesday afternoon call.

"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,” Hochul said in a statement. “I have spoken to Mayor Adams and county executives throughout New York as we work to address this situation."

Over 60,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since last spring, with more than 37,000 currently receiving city care, according to the mayor’s office.

That number is expected to increase following Thursday’s expiration of Title 42, which Hochul cited in her executive order.

Hochul’s directive orders the suspension of a handful of state laws governing contracts and purchasing rules in New York, which will allow the state to buy goods and lease buildings to tackle the migrant crisis without having to get the state comptroller's approval or go through normal bidding procedures.

The order will also prevent hotels, hospitals and other facilities providing care for migrants from being considered their landlord, which means the state’s current tenant protections wouldn’t apply.

In announcing the order, the governor’s office said it will clear the way for Hochul to deploy another 500 National Guard members to assist with the new arrivals, bringing the total deployed to approximately 1,500. As of now, about 1,000 members are deployed in New York City, primarily assisting with logistics and processing at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Hochul’s directive comes a week after she and state lawmakers struck a deal on a $229 billion state budget that includes $1 billion to help cover the city’s costs for sheltering migrants.

That funding is designed to cover an estimated 29% of the city’s shelter costs, with the state and city officials continuing to push the federal government to chip in more.

"The federal government, frankly, has to do something to help all our municipalities,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) told reporters on Tuesday. “I mean, this is not something that any of our municipalities can manage on their own."