Affordable Housing Lottery Launches For 477 Gerard Avenue In Mott Haven, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 477 Gerard Avenue, a 13-story residential building in Mott Haven, The Bronx. Designed by Michael Kang Architecture and developed by Jai Ganesh Realty, the structure yields 66 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 20 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $61,715 to $198,250.

Amenities include a shared laundry room, assigned parking spaces, bike storage lockers, elevator, and an outdoor terrace. Residences come with dishwashers, air conditioning, and patios or balconies. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are 10 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,800 for incomes ranging from $61,715 to $165,230, and ten two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,050 for incomes ranging from $70,286 to $198,250.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than October 24, 2023.

VCJC News & Notes 8/25/23

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders

1. Shabbos
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 8/25/23 @7:21 pm
   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely. 
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 8/26/23 @ 8:24 pm
    

2. Responses needed
   The Book of Remembrance flyers have been mailed out. Please respond BEFORE SEPTEMBER 6th.  
   Flyers have been mailed out for Holiday Greetings, Holiday tickets and
   Membership dues.  Your quick response would be appreciated!
   You can purchase tickets and pay dues online.

3. 1st Night of Selichot

   Saturday September 9th 8:45PM

   
   
   Services to be Held at:

   KCI 

   3220 Arlington Ave

   Riverdale, NY 10463

    

   If you would like to attend services and need transportation to the shul please contact the office via phone or email (vancortlandtjc@aol.com) or you can visit the office during regular hours and give them your name.

    

   Please try and notify the office by September 7th.

   If you are planning to attend services and want to volunteer to transport people to the shul please notify the office.
   

4. Lulav & Etrog Sets for Sale

   
   

   Have your Lulav and Etrog Set delivered directly to the Shul.  Sets Available at 4 Different Price Points

   $30.00

   $37.00

   $46.00

   $56.00

    

   If you are interested in ordering a Lulav & Etrog Set through the shul, you can call or email (vancortlandtjc@aol.com) the order to the office or come and visit the office during regular office hours.  Please specify the number of sets you wish to order and the price point of the sets you want.  If using email please make sure to include your name in the email.

   All orders must be received by September 15th.

   If you will not be in shul for the first days of the Sukkot Holiday and still want to place an order let the office know so we can arrange for you to pick up your set before the holiday begins.

   Payment does not need to be made at the same time as submitting your order

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR HOCHUL’S ASYLUM SEEKER ADDRESS

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after New York Governor Kathy Hochul provided an address on the asylum seeker crisis in New York:

“We appreciate Governor Hochul’s acknowledgement of the incredible work that New York City has done to manage the influx of tens of thousands of asylum seekers in the last year, and we are gratified to hear that she is calling for immediate federal action. Since the spring of 2022, our city has borne the brunt of a national crisis — providing shelter and care for a population greater than the entire city of Albany. Confronted with the unsolicited arrival of more than 104,000 men, women, and children, many of whom went through hell to arrive in this country and are now seeking asylum, the city has already opened 206 emergency shelters — twice as many as we had open four short months ago — and, if things do not change, we’re on track to spend more than $12 billion over three fiscal years.

 

“The status quo cannot continue. Put simply, New York City has largely managed this national crisis — a crisis that we believe New York state has an important role in helping to solve — alone. Although we’re disappointed that the state today appears to minimize the role that they can — and must — play in responding to this crisis, the state must fulfil its duty to more than 8 million of the state’s residents who call New York City home. Whatever differences we all may have about how to handle this crisis, we believe what is crystal clear is that whatever obligations apply under state law to the City of New York apply with equal force to every county across New York state. Leaving New York City alone to manage this crisis — and abdicating the state’s responsibility to coordinate a statewide response — is unfair to New York City residents who also didn’t ask to be left almost entirely on their own in the middle of a national crisis. 

 

“We cannot continue this seemingly endless race of opening shelters just days — and sometimes hours — ahead of the rate of new arrivals. We will lose that race. We’ve been clear about the systemic changes we need — changes that, in the long run, will become an investment in our state and our country’s workforce. We’ve been saying it since last year: We need the federal government to allow asylum seekers to work, so they can provide for themselves and their families. We also need the state and the federal government to implement decompression strategies, so no one municipality has to manage a disproportionate share of this crisis. Further, we are asking the governor to ask the federal government to declare a state of emergency, so we can more easily access additional resources. And we are asking the governor to use her powers to prevent counties from issuing exclusionary emergency orders and give us the resources needed to get people out of shelter, so that they can move on to the next steps in their journeys.”

New Rochelle Man Charged With Bronx Shooting

 

Tyriek Skyfield Allegedly Fired Two Shots at Victim, Wounding Him

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Steven A. Nigrelli, the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging TYRIEK SKYFIELD with firing two shots at a victim on a residential street in the Bronx, injuring the victim.  SKYFIELD will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.   

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Tyriek Skyfield fired two bullets at another individual on a residential street in the Bronx.  One of those bullets struck the victim, injuring him.  Thanks to the swift action of our law enforcement partners, Skyfield is now being held accountable for his alleged violent actions.”

NYSP Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said: “This case sends a clear message that senseless acts of gun violence will not be tolerated, and justice will prevail.  Working together with all levels of law enforcement, we can and are making a difference in the fight to end gun violence in our communities.  I commend our New York State Police investigators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the NYPD for their swift and diligent work on this case.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]

On Saturday, July 22, 2023, shortly before 10:00 p.m., SKYFIELD fired two gunshots at another individual (“Victim-1”) in the vicinity of Needham Avenue in the Bronx.  

Surveillance video captured SKYFIELD brandishing a handgun at Victim-1 seconds before firing one of the shots.  A still image from the surveillance footage is below:

One of the gunshots struck Victim-1 in the foot. 

After firing the shots at Victim-1, SKYFIELD fled the scene on foot and was picked up outside a nearby building by a white BMX X6 SUV a few minutes later.

SKYFIELD later traveled to a club in Queens as a passenger in the same car.  Video surveillance footage from the club showed SKYFIELD presenting proof of identification and entering the club:

The club’s identification records, in combination with video surveillance footage, indicated that the individual seen entering the club in the above still images was SKYFIELD.

After canvassing the scene of the shooting, NYPD officers recovered a shell casing from one of the gunshots in a nearby yard.

SKYFIELD was not permitted to possess ammunition because of prior felony convictions, one of which was a conviction for an armed robbery.

SKYFIELD, 31, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYSP and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Justice Department Sues SpaceX for Discriminating Against Asylees and Refugees in Hiring

 

Asylees and Refugees With Relevant Information Should Contact the Justice Department

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) for discriminating against asylees and refugees in hiring. The lawsuit alleges that, from at least September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX routinely discouraged asylees and refugees from applying and refused to hire or consider them, because of their citizenship status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

In job postings and public statements over several years, SpaceX wrongly claimed that under federal regulations known as “export control laws,” SpaceX could hire only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, sometimes referred to as “green card holders.” Export control laws impose no such hiring restrictions. Moreover, asylees’ and refugees’ permission to live and work in the United States does not expire, and they stand on equal footing with U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents under export control laws. Under these laws, companies like SpaceX can hire asylees and refugees for the same positions they would hire U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. And once hired, asylees and refugees can access export-controlled information and materials without additional government approval, just like U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

“Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation also found that SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials took actions that actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company. Asylees and refugees have overcome many obstacles in their lives, and unlawful employment discrimination based on their citizenship status should not be one of them. Through this lawsuit we will hold SpaceX accountable for its illegal employment practices and seek relief that allows asylees and refugees to fairly compete for job opportunities and contribute their talents to SpaceX’s workforce.”

The department’s lawsuit alleges that SpaceX discriminated against asylees and refugees based on citizenship status at multiple stages of the hiring process. For example:

• SpaceX discouraged asylees and refugees from applying for open positions, through public announcements, job applications and other online recruiting communications that excluded asylees and refugees.
• SpaceX failed to fairly consider applications submitted by asylees and refugees.
• SpaceX refused to hire qualified asylee and refugee applicants and repeatedly rejected asylee and refugee applicants because of their citizenship status.
• SpaceX hired only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, from September 2018 to September 2020.

SpaceX recruits and hires for a variety of positions, including welders, cooks, crane operators, baristas and dishwashers, as well as information technology specialists, software engineers, business analysts, rocket engineers and marketing professionals. The jobs at issue in the lawsuit are not limited to those that require advanced degrees. 

Asylees and refugees are migrants to the United States who have fled persecution. To obtain their status, they undergo thorough vetting by the United States government. Under the INA, employers cannot discriminate against them in hiring, unless a law, regulation, executive order or government contract requires the employer to do so. In this instance, no law, regulation, executive order or government contract required or permitted SpaceX to engage in the widespread discrimination against asylees or refugees that the department’s investigation found, as explained in the complaint.

Because SpaceX works with certain goods, software, technology and technical data (referred to here as export-controlled items), SpaceX must comply with export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. Under these regulations, asylees, refugees, lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals working at U.S. companies can access export-controlled items without authorization from the U.S. government. Therefore, these laws do not require SpaceX to treat asylees and refugees differently than U.S. citizens or green card holders. Find more information here on how employers can avoid discrimination when complying with export control requirements.

The United States seeks fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination. The United States also seeks civil penalties in an amount to be determined by the court and policy changes to ensure it complies with the INA’s nondiscrimination mandate going forward.

Please contact the department’s Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) at IERSpaceXcase@usdoj.gov or 1-888-473-3845 if you are or were an asylee or refugee who experienced any one of the following at any point in time:

(1) You applied to a job at SpaceX and were rejected.

(2) You were discouraged from applying to SpaceX because you were not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

(3) A recruiter or other SpaceX employee told you that SpaceX could only hire U.S. citizens and/or lawful permanent residents.

IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. 

Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); e-mail IER@usdoj.gov; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.

Attorney General James Fights to Keep Dangerous Assault Weapons Out of Communities

 

Multistate Coalition of 18 Attorneys General Defends Delaware Ban on Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today took action to defend legislation that bans dangerous assault weapons and restricts the use of large capacity magazines. Joining a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Attorney General James urged the court to reject challenges to Delaware laws banning assault weapons and restricting large capacity magazines that were enacted in 2022. Gun safety measures are an important part of fighting the flow of illegal guns into New York. Seventy-five percent of all crime-related guns recovered in New York originated from out of state, with the “iron pipeline” running up the East Coast being a top source for trafficked weapons. Like New York, Delaware bans assault weapons, restricts large capacity magazines, and prohibits bump stocks and other devices that increase the rate of fire of semiautomatic weapons. The challenge to Delaware's laws puts New Yorkers at risk by making it easier to obtain dangerous weapons in nearby states.

“Assault weapons are designed to be used on battlefields and military bases, not in neighborhoods and schools,” said Attorney General James. “Far from making people safer, these deadly weapons are a clear and ever-present danger in communities throughout our nation. The iron pipeline means that a gun purchased legally elsewhere can be smuggled into New York, putting our families at risk. That is why I will fight tirelessly and use every tool at my disposal to get assault weapons off the streets and defend laws that stop gun violence.”

State laws like Delaware’s that restrict assault weapons and other deadly accessories are an important tool to fight gun trafficking on the “iron pipeline,” a route through the East Coast in which guns are trafficked north to places like New York from southern states with fewer regulations. Although numerous East Coast states like Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have successfully enacted assault weapons bans, striking down Delaware’s ban could present a danger to these and other nearby states.

Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general argue that Delaware’s laws should be upheld because they are in line with common restrictions at the state and federal levels. Nine other states, including New York, have enacted similar assault weapons bans and 14 other states, including New York, have enacted similar restrictions on large capacity magazines. In addition, the attorneys general assert that Delaware’s laws are in line with the Second Amendment because they restrict dangerous weapons that are not commonly used or useful for self-defense. Assault weapons were used in over 30 percent of mass shootings in the past decade, and they were used for self-defense in just 0.2 percent of active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2021.

Joining Attorney General James in filing today’s amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

This amicus brief is a part of Attorney General James’ ongoing efforts to address gun violence throughout New York and across the nation. She recently joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general in an amicus brief before the Supreme Court urging the justices to uphold a federal law preventing domestic abusers from accessing guns. In May, Attorney General James sued a gun accessory manufacturer that aided the Buffalo mass shooter. In April, she took action to remove more than 3,000 guns off New York’s streets in a single day through the first-ever statewide gun buyback program, and has removed over 7,000 guns from New York since taking office. In March, Attorney General James and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force took down a firearm and drug trafficking operation that illegally sold guns, including ghost guns and assault weapons, in New York City. The takedown recovered 19 firearms, including 12 ghost guns. Also in March, Attorney General James secured a court order banning 10 gun distributors from selling and shipping ghost gun parts into New York. In December 2022, Attorney General James and the task force removed 57 illegal firearms, including 51 ghost guns, as part of a 438-count indictment against three individuals. In June 2022, Attorney General James sued 10 national gun distributors for bringing ghost gun parts into New York.

NYC Comptroller Lander Unveils New Online Hub to Track City’s Contracting & Budgeting Data for Asylum Seeker Service Provision

 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander launched a new resource on the Comptroller’s Office website to enhance transparency into the City’s contracting and budgeting for service provision to support asylum seekers. The page, titled “Accounting for Asylum Seeker Services,” brings together the most comprehensive publicly available set of the City’s known emergency contracts, budget projections, and high-level data on the asylum seeker population.

“As New York City opens its arms to thousands of asylum seekers, the Comptroller’s Office is committed to providing New Yorkers with an honest look into the City’s emergency response operations and spending. Our new web resource is a centralized hub for City agencies, the press, and the public to access key information on emergency contracting, budgeting, and the status of individuals in our shelter system,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

During emergency situations, agencies are permitted to expedite procurement processes, bypassing competitive bidding and reducing integrity reviews. Since Spring 2022, the City has entered into hundreds of emergency contracts across many agencies to provide shelter, meals, medical care, transportation, and legal assistance (and the staffing support for all of these services) to tens of thousands of asylum seekers.

Because these contracts are entered into with little coordination by multiple agencies, including some with different procurement rules (e.g. NYC Health + Hospitals), and because most have not yet been submitted to the Comptroller’s office for registration, there is no coordinated database. The Comptroller’s office has assembled the records in the directory from data collected from PASSPort Public (the City’s contract processing database), registered contracts that have arrived at the Comptroller’s Bureau of Contract Administration, and additional lists provided by the Administration.

In July, the Comptroller’s Office released an audit of emergency procurement during the COVID-19 crisis that identified significant overspending and issued a guidance memo to City agencies to employ best practices for controlling costs and conducting oversight of vendors in an emergency contracting context. Read the Comptroller’s Office’s letter to agencies on vendor oversight and cost containment during emergency procurement.

“New York benefits from each wave of new immigrants who consistently bring new energy, ideas, businesses, culture generation-after-generation, and an abiding faith in the future of our city. New York City stands to benefit greatly from this newest wave of New Yorkers, if we can effectively manage the challenge of helping them find stable housing, get permission to work, and begin building their new lives here. For that, we need much more support from the federal and state governments, a significantly stronger focus on helping new arrivals file their applications for asylum and work authorization, and a even broader coalition of public, private, and civic partners. We hope this resource will provide transparent information that supports those efforts,” said Lander.

The Comptroller’s office will update this resource on a regular basis as data becomes available.

Explore the “Accounting for Asylum Seeker Services” resource.

Governor Hochul Calls on President Biden to Direct the Federal Government to Provide Work Authorizations, Support, and Shelter For More Than 100,000 Asylum Seekers in New York State

 

Governor Urges White House to Provide Expedited Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers, Financial Assistance for the City and State, the Use of Federal Lands and Facilities, and Reimbursement for Nearly 2,000 New York National Guard Members

Governor Also Announces Plan to Connect Asylum Seekers to Employers with Job Openings Throughout New York State

Governor's Ongoing Response to Asylum Seeker Arrivals Includes $1.5 Billion in Aid in FY 2024 Budget, Mobilization of Nearly 2,000 National Guard Members, and Providing State-Owned Sites to House Asylum Seekers

 Governor Kathy Hochul today called on President Biden to take executive action and direct additional federal resources to the State of New York as it manages the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers arriving in New York. In a formal request sent to the White House this morning, Governor Hochul outlined specific, outstanding requests, including expedited work authorizations for asylum seekers, financial assistance for New York City and New York State, the use of federal land and facilities for temporary shelter sites, and Title 32 designation to provide federal funding for the nearly 2,000 New York National Guard members currently providing logistical and operational support across the State.   

“For over a year, I have called for federal assistance and support for New York as we manage the unprecedented number of asylum seekers arriving in our state,” Governor Hochul said. “New York cannot continue to do this on its own. It is past time for President Biden to take action and provide New York with the aid needed to continue managing this ongoing crisis.” 

Governor Hochul also announced a program that will greatly expand the State’s ability to help asylum seekers quickly gain lawful employment. Governor Hochul directed the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) to help connect asylum seekers to employment opportunities so they can begin working immediately after obtaining federal work authorization. All asylum seekers with work authorization in New York can now register for assistance here. DOL career experts will work with individuals to assess skills, work history, education, career interests and more, and connect them with employers across the State. Additionally, the New York State Department of Labor launched a portal enabling businesses to inform the State that they would welcome newly-authorized individuals into their workforce.  

Today's actions are Governor Hochul's latest efforts to address the arrival of asylum seekers and migrants in New York. Earlier this week, Governor Hochul announced a $20 million investment to help expedite the casework filing process for more than 30,000 asylum seekers. This investment builds on the $1.5 billion the State already committed to support New York City by providing funding for health care, shelter costs, National Guard personnel, legal services, and voluntary relocation programs. The State has also loaned New York City sites to use as temporary shelters which currently house more than 2,000 asylum seekers every day.  

The full text of Governor Hochul's letter to the President is available below: 

Dear President Biden:

New York State has been working with the City of New York to manage the arrival of a significant number of migrants and individuals seeking asylum in New York over the past year.  This influx has stretched the City’s and State’s resources, created tremendous operational and management challenges, and imposed overwhelming demands on the City’s homeless shelters.  I wrote to you earlier this year to ask for the use of certain federal properties to provide temporary shelter.  While I appreciate you taking initial steps to assist the State in this regard and your longstanding commitment to an equitable approach to immigration at the Southwest border, the challenges we face demand a much more vigorous federal response.  With the arrival of over 100,000 asylum seekers and migrants in the past year, coupled with the sustained arrival of hundreds if not thousands to the City every week, the federal government must partner with the City and State in handling this humanitarian crisis.  The City and the State have provided significant funding, staffing, and case management for these arrivals to date.  I write to you today to express a most urgent need for the federal government to take executive action and direct significant financial assistance to address this challenge.

There are several key steps that the federal government must take to meet its responsibilities to New York.

First, the federal government must expedite work authorizations.  New York has a very strong job market, and the State is committed to providing job placement services to those who have work authorization and to resettling individuals and families who have applied for asylum.  Today, many asylum seekers and migrants need both shelter and financial assistance for an indefinite period simply because they cannot legally work in the United States.  Work authorization would enable these individuals to resettle in communities more quickly.  The federal government can expedite work authorizations through executive actions like granting and extending Temporary Protected Status, specifically for countries like Venezuela, which constitute a significant portion of the arriving population and where the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.  I also support the use of the humanitarian parole program for individuals from other countries.  We cannot make progress in mitigating the humanitarian crisis we face in New York without these essential actions by the federal government.

Second, the federal government must provide the State and the City with significant financial assistance.  The State has already committed over $1.5 billion, and based on the current trajectory and planning, this crisis could cost the State an additional $4.5 billion next year.  According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the City projects that the cost to the City will be $12 billion to support the arriving asylum seekers and migrants.  The City and the State are incurring these unexpected expenditures in the midst of declining tax revenues while costs are rising.  This is a financial burden the City and State are shouldering on behalf of the federal government.  While the State appreciates the $145 million contribution that the federal government has made to this effort, this allotment of funds is insufficient.  The costs to provide services and assistance to migrants arriving in New York are high and the need for federal assistance is clear.

• Healthcare and Human Services: The State needs funding from the federal government to pay to test the migrants for illnesses that might pose a threat to public health and to provide Covid-19 vaccine and other immunizations; to offset state program costs through an increase in federal cost sharing under the Medicaid program (FMAP); and to support comprehensive case management services.
• Transportation: The Federal Transit Administration has an Emergency Relief program, and we call on the federal government to direct funds from this program to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for free transportation services provided to migrants and asylum seekers.  To date, the MTA has spent over $2.3 million for these services and the costs will continue to rise.  The MTA has had to raise fares for New York commuters to close its budget gap and the MTA cannot provide free transport services for migrants on an ongoing basis without federal financial assistance. 
• Housing Assistance: The Department of Housing and Urban Development has housing subsidy programs, including Section 8 housing vouchers, that should be provided to eligible homeless families and individuals to help them move into permanent housing, to relieve the pressure on the City’s shelters, and to decrease the City’s significant costs to shelter elsewhere.
• Education: The Department of Education must work with the City and the State to surge resources to school districts seeing the dramatic increases in their student population as a direct result of this crisis. Many of the arriving migrants are families with children who are enrolling in public school and need English as a Second Language and other support services.

Third, the federal government has key facilities in the City and metropolitan area that the State and the City urgently need for temporary shelters.  The New York City shelter system is caring for over 58,500 asylum seekers and migrants, and the number continues to grow by the thousands each week.  The City has opened more than 200 shelters in response to this crisis and is out of space.  Additionally, the State has provided multiple state-owned facilities including the former Lincoln Correctional Facility, Building 197 at John F. Kennedy Airport, and space on the Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital campus.  The City and State are quickly running out of viable locations to house asylum seekers and migrants.  Additional federal assistance to identify, prepare, and operate new sites on federally owned assets is essential.  I am grateful for the efforts of your Administration to make Floyd Bennett Field available.  However, there are other properties the federal government owns that should also be made available for this purpose.

Fourth, the federal government should reimburse the State for the costs of deploying the National Guard.  The State is incurring costs of over $22 million per month to support approximately 1,950 National Guard members, who are deployed in the City and to counties to assist with humanitarian operations.  This is an expense most appropriately borne by the federal government.   Title 32 of the United States Code provides those who perform active duty under state control with pay and benefits by the federal government.  I understand that the federal government has authorized the use of the Title 32 authority in the past to reimburse states for costs associated with the deployment of the National Guard to assist with immigrants arriving in the United States.  I am calling on the federal government to provide that same level of assistance to New York, either through a Title 32 authorization or through another funding mechanism.

In summary, New York City and New York State are deploying all available resources and staff to manage this immigration crisis.  New York is a state with tremendous talent, capability, compassion, and potential.  No challenge is too great, and we are stepping up to handle this mission.  However, the flow of asylum seekers and migrants into New York is continuing at a high and unabated level.  It is the federal government’s direct responsibility to manage and control of the nation’s borders.  Without any capacity or responsibility to address the cause of the migrant influx, New Yorkers cannot then shoulder these costs.  I cannot ask New Yorkers to pay for what is fundamentally a federal responsibility and I urge the federal government to take prompt and significant action today to meet its obligation to New York State.

Thank you for your continued leadership for our nation on this issue and so many others.