Kirsten Gillibrand wants to send NYC migrants upstate so cities could get federal funds

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand needs to assist clear up the Large Apple’s shelter disaster by relocating newly arrived migrants to upstate cities — which might use the inhabitants increase to qualify for pork-barrel federal funds as she seeks reelection, The Put up has discovered.

Gillibrand (D-NY) has floated the concept to Metropolis Corridor and mentioned it with Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday throughout a closed-door assembly in Washington, a supply acquainted with the matter mentioned.

The senator has additionally contacted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s workplace to hunt her assist, a second supply informed The Put up.

Metropolis Councilmember Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) confirmed Gillibrand not too long ago pitched the concept to her as properly.

“She informed me that preparations might be made for housing help, childcare, faculty help and dealing,” Brewer mentioned. “She appeared to really feel this can be a answer for some who would possibly need to go.”

Seventeen migrants who have been housed at the Bellevue Homeless Shelter are loaded onto a yellow school bus to be relocated to a shelter in Brooklyn.
Seventeen migrants who've been housed on the Bellevue Homeless Shelter are loaded onto a yellow faculty bus to be relocated to a shelter in Brooklyn.
Matthew McDermott/Polaris

Gillibrand’s plan, if profitable, might assist the Albany native carry residence the bacon to struggling locales as she appears to be like forward to a possible re-election bid in 2024, a DC supply near the senator mentioned.

The cash would come from the $9 billion-plus federal Group Growth Block Grant (CDBG) program, which is meant to assist low- and moderate-income communities by stopping or eliminating slums and blight.

Final yr, New York acquired a complete of $316 million in CDBG grants, based on the federal Division of Housing and City Growth, which runs this system.

“It’s a money cow in that it supplies to upstate cities the controversial golden security web,” the Gillibrand supply defined.

The annual giveaways have been criticized by conservative teams — together with The Heritage Basis and the Manhattan Institute — as riddled with wasteful spending, cronyism and corruption.

Nearly all of CDBG grants go to main cities, smaller cities with populations over 50,000 and concrete counties with populations over 200,000.

Migrants from El Paso arrive at Port Authority Bus Terminal on September 15.
Migrants from El Paso arrive at Port Authority Bus Terminal on September 15.
Robert Miller

The upstate cities of Niagara Falls and Binghamton each have populations of round 48,000, that means they might simply qualify for CDBG funds by accepting only a fraction of the estimated 11,000 migrants who've flooded into New York Metropolis amid an ongoing border surge.


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Adams warned Wednesday that the inflow was bringing the town’s shelter system close to its “breaking level.”

The next day, his chief authorized counsel, Brendan McGuire, mentioned the town would search to amend a lawsuit settlement that ensures beds for homeless individuals mere hours after they apply.

“What we’re speaking about is the truth that that is utterly unexpected, this price of inflow of individuals into the system,” McGuire mentioned. “And so it’s irresponsible to not reassess how the system works.”

US senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Gillibrand made the suggestion behind closed doorways with Mayor Adams, a supply mentioned.
YUKI IWAMURA/AFP through Getty Photographs

“Upstate New York communities have a proud custom of welcoming immigrant households who've since thrived for many years, turning into vital pillars of the native financial system and tradition,” Gillibrand mentioned in a press release Friday.

“I've mentioned this with a number of different native leaders and stand able to assist in any means I can, together with securing extra federal funds for New York Metropolis and reforming the immigration court docket system to perform rather more effectively,” she added.

When requested about the opportunity of transferring migrants upstate, Adams press secretary Fabien Levy declined to remark immediately.

“Whereas no selections have but been made, we have to think about all choices that assist us meet our ethical and authorized mandates,” he mentioned in a prolonged ready assertion.

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