An overwhelming majority of Democrats in New York view the migrant crisis in the state as a severe problem, according to a poll.
A new survey from the Sienna College Research Institute found that 75% of New York Democrats see the migrant crisis in the state as a “very serious” or a “somewhat serious” problem, with 47% of the respondents saying it’s dire and 28% saying its somewhat consequential.
The shock poll comes as the migrant crisis has especially hit New York City. The Big Apple accounts for roughly 40% of the state’s population and has been grappling with the influx of more than 130,000 migrants since last year.
Mayor Eric Adams recently sounded the alarm about the problem, saying it would “destroy” the city.
“Let me tell you something, New Yorkers. Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to,” Adams said in September. “I don’t see an ending to this. I don’t see an ending to this. This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City. We’re getting 10,000 migrants a month.”
Adams has urged wealthy individuals in the area to open their wallets to help the city weather a financial storm created by the ongoing crisis just days after the city unveiled deep budget cuts.
“This is a moment where it’s an all hands on deck moment,” Adams told a Police Athletic League lunch last Friday, according to the New York Post.
“The way it goes, New York goes, America goes, but I’m going to need you more than ever to support many of these organizations like PAL, Robin Hood Foundation, and others,” he said. “A moment where our philanthropic interests must align with some of the gaps and services that we are seeing today.”
Adams also reportedly urged New Yorkers to “reach out to Washington, D.C.” and demand more support for the city, which he says is a “national crisis.”
The remarks came a day after the “sanctuary” city announced that it is reducing police numbers and slashing budgets in areas like education and sanitation.
Adams announced a $110.5 billion budget, saying that cuts across all agencies were necessary, with the city having spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on the migrant crisis and nearly $11 billion expected to be spent in 2024 and 2025.
NEW YORK CITY TO REDUCE POLICE NUMBERS, SLASH BUDGETS DUE TO BILLIONS SPENT ON MIGRANT CRISIS
The New York Police Department will freeze hiring to bring numbers below 30,000 by the end of fiscal year 2025 from over 33,000. There will also be deep cuts to education, including the universal pre-kindergarten program and sanitation.
New York City and other liberal jurisdictions, including Massachusetts and Chicago, have called for additional federal help with the numbers they are seeing.
The Biden administration has pointed to more than $770 million it has given out to support communities taking in migrants in the last year and recommendations its teams of experts have made.
However, as Adams continued to speak out about the consequences of the migrant surge, he also backed noncitizens voting in elections.
NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS PARENTS MAY NEED TO HELP IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AMID MIGRANT CRISIS
After entering office in January 2022, Adams enacted a law permitting noncitizens to vote in the city after not signing or vetoing it. The law passed the New York City Council one month before he became mayor in December 2021.
The law created a class of “municipal voters,” comprising noncitizens who reside in the city for at least 30 days before an election and register or pre-register to vote. Under it, municipal voters were granted the right to participate in elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president and council member.
The law has faced roadblocks and remains in limbo. The New York Supreme Court ruled it was illegal in June 2022, and it remains caught up in court.
A spokesperson from his office also recently sidestepped questions from Fox News Digital on whether he still supports noncitizens voting despite his recent rhetoric, instead saying it is an “ongoing legal process” and that they are “going to let it play out.”
Adams has been behind the earlier reported legal push allowing them to vote, signaling that he still supports it despite his public comments on the crisis.
