NYC migrant crisis: Court battle looming over 'right to shelter' law
NEW YORK CITY - New York City and the state are taking their "right to shelter" battle to court amid the growing migrant crisis.
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and at the center is a 1981 consent decree over the city's right to shelter law, which is being challenged.
The arrival of over 100,000 migrants since last year has put the city's shelter sytem to the test.
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Poll: New Yorkers say the influx of migrants is a 'serious problem'
In the latest Siena College Poll, 82% of New Yorkers say that the recent influx of migrants is a serious problem, with more than 50% labeling it a very serious problem.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office is claiming in court the mandate requires New York City to provide shelter to anyone who needs it, but does not apply to the entire state.
Mayor Eric Adams disagrees, and has been pushing the governor to issue an executive order that would force upstate counties to house migrants as a decompression strategy in the Big Apple.
Floyd Bennett Field to house migrants
The looming court battle comes after the Biden administration gave New York the green light to house over 2,500 migrants and asylum seekers at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
That news came on the same day New York City began taking adult male migrants to a new tent shelter on Randall's Island.
So far, more than 100,000 migrants have passed through the city since last spring. The city has set up more than 200 emergency shelter sites to house migrants.
New Yorkers voice crisis concerns, poll shows
In the latest Siena College Poll, 82% of New Yorkers say the recent influx of migrants is a serious problem, with more than 50% labeling it a very serious problem.
"Democrats, Republicans, Independents, upstaters, downstate, city, suburban, they all agree that this influx is a problem," Siena College Pollster Steven Greenberg explained.
The poll also spells bad news for Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Mayor Adams, who voters said are all dropping the ball when it comes to handling the migrant crisis.
Hochul in particular has seen a drop in her job approval rating over the last five consecutive polls.