As the temperature begins to dip, the federal government is asking cities dealing with an influx of migrants about their long-term plans.
In correspondence obtained by NY1, FEMA asks a series of questions to City Hall related to cold weather planning, migrant surge planning and long-term strategic planning.
One question posed suggested that a surge of migrants is expected in the future. It reads: “Once winter subsides and if there is a migrant surge to New York City, does this respective city have a strategy, plan to handle an incoming surge of migrants?”
Another question about the cold read: “Does New York City have a plan to deal with incoming migrants without proper clothes and to ensure there is adequately heated housing available for people?”
Chief of staff to the mayor, Camille Joseph Varlack, said the email containing the questions was sent to City Hall last Wednesday.
The email comes as the city has been pleading for the federal government to take the reins of the crisis.
“It just sets the wrong tone. When it comes down to it, this is a national crisis that New York City should not be carrying on our backs,” Varlack said, on Thursday in front of the Roosevelt Hotel.
For over a year, the mayor, governor and other electeds have been asking the White House for funding, shelter space and a decompression strategy.
The Adams administration says the federal government and the White House have done little to help the city.
They have given just over $160 million and in September extended Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans.
“We continue to advocate for additional funds, and I think our congressional delegation is working really hard. But we haven’t really seen any meaningful movement,” Varlack said, who later added, “On the issue of resettlement, there hasn’t been any meaningful dialogue on that.”
Varlack said that a FEMA official was recently in the city to assess the situation.
“We had an opportunity to meet with the FEMA administrator. She came to New York, and she reached out. She talked about making a team available to sort of work with our team on the ground,” Varlack said.
NY1 has reached out to FEMA, which directed us to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not comment.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Adams announced the city will host a two-day event with officials from more than 20 cities to discuss the national asylum seeker crisis. Starting Monday, officials from places like Denver and Chicago will be in New York discussing the situation.
Adams’ planned trip to the White House last month, which ended abruptly, included some of the cities present at the summit.
As of this week, more than 140,000 migrants have come to the city and last week about 2,700 asylum seekers arrived over a seven-day period.
Source: Ny1
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