"You Broke It, You Pay for It:” A Close Look at Congressman Nick LaLota's Letter on New York's Migrant Crisis

In a strongly worded letter sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, Congressman Nick LaLota, along with a cadre of co-signing Congress members, does not mince words about what they consider to be the mishandling of the migrant crisis in New York. The letter has already ignited a debate that might have significant repercussions for New York City and its sanctuary policies.

Addressing a topic that has already drawn considerable media attention, the letter begins with, "We write today in response to disturbing reporting indicating New York City has requested migrants, legal and illegal, adult and minor, be housed at nearly two dozen state-owned facilities, including military bases, State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, and vacant prisons."

Perhaps the letter's most explosive claim is the following: "We strongly oppose the use of state-owned facilities to house migrants who have been left on the streets due to New York City's mishandling of the migrant crisis— a crisis it and the Biden Administration helped create." LaLota and the other signatories call for immediate action to "rescind all sanctuary city policies and actively work with all levels of law enforcement to enforce America's immigration laws."

On the contentious issue of sanctuary cities, the letter flatly accuses New York City officials of exacerbating the crisis by refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): "New York City has consistently refused to cooperate with ICE and share citizenship status, arrest data, and addresses." This noncooperation, they argue, has resulted in attracting "more than 100,000 migrants [who] have come to New York City seeking shelter."

The signatories acknowledge America's immigrant roots: "We are also a nation of immigrants– one that believes fiercely in the American Dream. Legal immigration is a part of the American fabric." However, they draw a strict line between legal immigration and what they see as New York City's policies encouraging illegal immigration.

Perhaps one of the most direct admonishments in the letter is targeted toward the financial and public safety burdens these policies might impose on other regions of New York State. LaLota and the other members declare, "Suburban counties like the ones we represent must not be forced to incur the financial and public safety burden caused by the policy choices of New York City Officials. You broke it, you pay for it."

Co-signed by Congress members Elise Stefanik, Anthony D'Esposito, Nick Langworthy, Andrew R. Garbarino, Claudia Tenney, and Michael V. Lawler, the letter stands as a forceful critique of New York City's current stance on immigration. Whether Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams will consider these criticisms in future policy decisions remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the letter has put the issues of immigration, sanctuary city policies, and the sharing of burdens between city and suburbs front and center in the ongoing political debate.