WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — A contentious proposal is on the agenda of a House committee Tuesday aimed at imposing restrictions on the housing of migrants transported from the U.S.-Mexico border, dictating both how and where they are accommodated while awaiting immigration judge appointments.
The Republican-sponsored bill would prohibit the use of federal money for providing shelter to noncitizens, including migrants seeking asylum, on lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service and National Park Service.
In the upcoming session, legislators will deliberate on the measure that not only seeks to ban the use of federal money for housing migrants on federal land but also proposes the revocation of a lease in New York City. Specifically, this would affect the migrant encampment at Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn, which houses about 2,000 migrants.
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This comes as migrants continue to be bused to cities from the border, with New York City processing nearly 150,000 through its intake system since last spring. Similarly, Chicago and Denver have each received more than 25,000 migrants.
In Chicago, the influx has resulted in some migrants residing on sidewalks and at O’Hare International Airport. Mayor Brandon Johnson is advocating for the construction of winterized base camps to address the situation.
Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams has reached out to President Joe Biden for assistance, estimating that the crisis could cost the city around $12 billion.
“All my time in government, this is probably one of the most painful exercises I’ve gone through,” Adams said. “It’s going to be extremely painful for New Yorkers and that is why we continue to say we need help.”
The Biden administration “strongly opposes” the bill.
“The Administration opposes this legislation because it would significantly restrict the ability of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to make decisions regarding the appropriate uses of their lands and resources, even in emergency or other situations,” the White House said in a statement of administration policy.
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the sponsor of the measure, took to social media to share Biden’s pushback, writing, “Not only has @POTUS created the migrant crisis, his administration, along with @GovKathyHochul & @NYCMayor, are allowing it to continue at taxpayers’ expense!”
Border security is set to be a prominent topic on the Senate side of Capitol Hill, with lawmakers deliberating on allocating billions of dollars for measures such as building the wall and hiring more agents
to take on extra aid for Ukraine and Israel.