Press Releases

Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) and County Executive Ed Day held a press conference today to address the need for additional funding from the federal government to help schools, municipalities, and non-profits deal with the influx of migrants.

"We're here today to address concerns about a rise in costs for schools, municipalities, non-profits, and county governments dealing with the influx of migrants to the Hudson Valley, as well as the growing humanitarian crisis due to the failure of both parties to address our broken immigration system," said Rep. Lawler. "It is creating a budget crunch for agencies and non-profits across Rockland County, especially in schools, where we've seen thousands of new students enrolled since September. The White House and Congress need to make additional funding available to help deal with the significant increase in costs."

"This is a multi-pronged problem facing our communities," continued Rep. Lawler. "On one hand, our broken immigration system and the Biden Administration's unwillingness to deal with it is resulting in an inflow of drugs like fentanyl into our communities, as well as an increase in human trafficking. But we also can't lose sight of the human side of this problem. Thousands upon thousands of immigrants, including children, risking it all because they see America as their last hope for freedom and opportunity. I've spoken with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, there is recognition that both parties have to work together to address this crisis."

"The mayor of New York City has raised many of the same concerns we're outlining today," said Lawler. "Which is why I'm committed to tackling them."

"Congressman Robert Garcia and I have talked extensively about creating a caucus of freshmen members to work towards a plan to fix it," continued Lawler. "Number one, we have to secure the border. Number two, we have to create a pathway to legalization - for some that will mean citizenship, for others it won't. Number three, we have to fix the legal immigration system, so that people who want to come here can do so and can contribute to our society, our economy, and our culture as immigrants have and always will."

"We are a nation of immigrants," concluded Lawler. "My wife is an immigrant, so this is not about being against immigration. This is about highlighting the real struggles with this broken system, the challenges that county governments, schools, and non-profits face, and the work that we must do in a bipartisan fashion to fix it."