Poll: NY voters disapprove of migrant influx – and politicians' response
NEW YORK - More than 80% of New York state voters say that the recent influx of migrants is a serious problem, according to the latest Siena College Poll, 82-16%.
And 54% say that the recent influx of migrants is a "very serious" problem.
"New Yorkers – including huge majorities of Democrats, Republicans, independents, upstaters and downstaters – overwhelmingly say that the recent influx of migrants to New York is a serious problem for the state," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
The poll also asks voters about migrants resettling in New York. By a 46-32% margin, voters say that migrants resettling in New York over the last 20 has been a "burden" and not a "benefit" to the state.
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Overall, a majority of New York state voters polled, 58-36%, say New Yorkers have already done enough when it comes to the migrant crisis and lawmakers should now work to slow the flow, rather than accepting new migrants and working to assimilate them into New York.
This opinion is split between Democrats and Republicans with a plurality of Democrats saying that migrants resettling in the state over the past few decades has been a benefit. However, a majority of independents and two-thirds of Republicans say that this has been a burden to the state.
"More than three-quarters of Republicans and 60% of independents say New Yorkers have done enough and must now slow the flow of migrants to the state, rather than accept and help assimilate them into New York, while Democrats are evenly divided," Greenberg said.
A majority of voters are also in support of relocating new migrants from New York City shelters to communities across the state by a 50-40% margin. Democrats, and New York City voters in particular, are heavily in favor of this proposal in the poll. Republicans are opposed, while independents and upstate voters are split.
A majority of voters disapprove of how Gov. Kathy Hochul has handled the influx of migrants by 51-35%.
Hochul’s job approval rate also hit new lows, standing at 46-46%, down from 48-44% in June, and 56-36% in January.
"Hochul’s job approval rating has fallen in five consecutive Siena College polls since her highest ever approval in January, when she was 20 points positive, to now her lowest ever approval," Greenberg said. "It should be noted that come Thursday, she will have been Governor of New York – where half of the enrolled voters are Democrats – for two years, and never once in that time have at least 50% of voters viewed her favorably."
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Voters also disapprove of the job Mayor Eric Adams is doing to handle the migrant influx by 47-31%.
And by a wider margin, voters disapprove of the job the Biden Administration is doing by 59-34%. Interestingly, by a narrow 42-39% margin, voters do approve of the job that their local elected officials are doing.