Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) side-stepped faulting President Joe Biden for the immigration crisis in her state and instead pointed the finger at the Republican Party.
Hochul appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Friday to celebrate the announcement from the Department of Homeland Security of fast-track work documents for nearly half a million Venezuelan illegal immigrants. The governor has been advocating similar policies since last year as the state has suffered a work shortage. However, Hochul said further solutions are still needed.
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"One is more enforcement at the border because people are coming here illegally," Hochul said. "Also, in Washington, we need help with comprehensive immigration reform. The Republicans have to stop playing political games with this. They have to get back to work and do the right thing."
Hochul explained that granting asylum to these immigrants is a five-to-seven-year process. She called it "a system that’s broken there." She has stated New York is "at capacity" and that the tensions in her state over the influx of immigrants could become a "political vulnerability."
"Democrats have answers, but as long as Republicans see that they can make gains with this, that they can score more points with this, then they’re not willing to come to the table and actually do what Americans want, which is two parties working together to solve problems," Hochul said. "That shouldn’t be such a radical concept. So that’s what we’re facing now, is this gridlock that is driven by the Republicans who are enjoying this spectacle, who have no intention of helping solve it, so this lies on their feet as well.”
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Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said earlier this month that 35,000 immigrants have been bused to Democratic sanctuary cities, with 13,300 to New York City, the highest number among the six municipalities, which include Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the Texas border town Eagle Pass has issued an emergency declaration over the 4,000 foreign nationals who illegally crossed the river between ports of entry and under the international bridge. Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. said he believes "100%" that Biden is at fault for the recent increase in immigrants in his border town.