A group of Democrat mayors led by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston last week asked President Biden for additional help from the federal government to deal with the surge of migrants in their cities, the Washington Examiner reported.
In a letter sent to the White House last Wednesday, Johnston, along with the Democrat mayors of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston, asked the president for help in easing the migrant crisis.
The mayors said while they appreciate the efforts the president has made thus far, they believe there must be further changes to confront the crisis caused by the migrant surge in their cities.
Citing the difficulties migrants face in obtaining work authorization permits, the mayors argued that many migrants want to work as well as many employers who “desperately want to hire them,” but right now, the federal government is “standing in the way.”
The mayors asked to meet with the president and offered four suggestions they believed would curb the current crisis their cities face, including an increase in federal funding, expediting the process for work permits and asylum claim adjudication, and pursuing a collaborative effort with the federal government to address the flow of migrants at the southern border.
In addition to Mayor Johnston, the letter was signed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The mayors said they have a “unique opportunity” to work with the White House and lawmakers in Congress to create an immigration system that would treat migrants “with dignity” while being “fair and equitable” for American cities. They asked the president for $5 billion in federal funds to help cover the costs associated with sheltering and providing resources to the migrants in their cities.
The mayors offered to travel to Washington to meet with the president to discuss a “shared interest in finding a successful resolution.”
