New York governor Kathy Hochul (D.) on Sunday called for more border protections, calling out Republicans in Congress as soft on immigration while insisting she and other New Yorkers have a "welcoming nature."
"Shame on Speaker McCarthy and the Republicans in Congress," Hochul said Sunday on CBS. "We want them to have a limit on who can come across the border. It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum, and the majority of them seem to be ending up in the streets of New York."
Hochul stressed how welcoming New Yorkers were and appeared to repeat a White House talking point that claimed proposed Republican budget cuts would lead to 800 fewer Customs and Border Protection agents.
"We are always so proud of the fact that New York has the Statue of Liberty in our harbor. We are one of the most diverse places on earth because of our welcoming nature," Hochul said on CBS. "It's in our DNA to welcome immigrants, but there has to be some limits in place, and Congress has to put more controls at the border, and not in this budget threat, shutdown threat—talk about eliminating positions for Border Patrol when we actually need to double or quadruple those numbers. So get back to work and do your jobs."
Democrats have attempted to blame the exploding crisis at the U.S. southern border on Republicans. Last month, President Joe Biden accused "MAGA Republicans" of spending "four years gutting the immigration system under my predecessor. They continue to undermine our border security today."
Democrats have also changed their tune on their attitude toward illegal migrants who are attempting to come to the United States.
Though she called for more border security on Sunday and told immigrants leaving their country to "go somewhere else" last month, Hochul stressed in May that "the vast, vast majority of these people … are simply seeking legal humanitarian relief" and thus have "a right to seek asylum in this country."
In December 2021, Hochul quoted the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty to advocate welcoming migrants.
"As you know, the Statue of Liberty is inscribed. It says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free," Hochul said at the time. "That statement encapsulates our values. We want people to come here, despite where they came from or despite the circumstances that drove them into this country, into this state. We say you are welcome here. You’re welcome with open arms, and we’ll work to keep you safe."
New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) has had a similar change in rhetoric. While running for his office in October 2021, he promised that "New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration." He said last month, however, that the influx of migrants would "destroy New York City."