“I am very sympathetic to the financial difficulties that the steady stream of migrants into New York City has created,” said Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights). “That said, I am extremely concerned that the across-the-board cuts that the mayor has announced will disproportionately impact the middle and working class residents of this city who rely on city services to maintain their quality-of-life. My constituents understandably worry that cuts to the NYPD, the Fire Department, the Department of Sanitation and the schools their children attend will mean a diminution of their daily lifestyle. The solution cannot be to cut essential services.

“This is why I am calling on the federal government to step up and assist New York City and other localities impacted by the arrival of migrants, by providing necessary resources such as financial and logistical support, including speeding up asylum hearings and the issuance of work permits. In fact, I recently signed onto a letter being sent by a bipartisan group of state officials to President Joe Biden requesting that he declare a state of emergency in order to free up resources and expedite processing of those who are seeking asylum.”