A judge may force Hochul’s hand on migrants

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Aug 08, 2023 View in browser   By Nick Reisman, Janaki Chadha, Emily Ngo and Jeff Coltin New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing a potential crossroads with the state's migrant crisis. | Hans Pennink/AP Photo A judge’s order may soon force New York state into a more direct role in the migrant crisis. New York City has until Wednesday to provide a list of needs — including state-owned properties and resources — to Gov. Kathy Hochul to address migrant housing. The state has until Aug. 15 to respond. The order on Friday from State Supreme Court Judge Erika Edwards comes as advocates have sought to compel the Adams administration to adhere to the terms of a 1981 consent decree requiring the city to provide shelter to needy people. Hochul’s office declined comment on the case and instead referred back to her Aug. 1 remarks about the state’s efforts to aid migrants in New York, which has received nearly 100,000 asylum-seekers over the past year. The state put $1 billion in its budget and committed 2,000 National Guard units to housing sites, Hochul said. The federal government has also approved the housing of migrants at a JFK warehouse, and the state is setting up a former prison to shelter more newcomers. Hochul previously wrote to President Joe Biden asking for additional emergency aid, and she has sought expedited work permits for migrants, which the White House has yet to approve. “That's what we're fighting for, and we are hopefully making some progress,” Hochul said last week. “I can't stand here at this time and say it's successful, but they absolutely know that is what the governor of New York wants.” But advocates at The Legal Aid Society believe Hochul can do more. For example, she could issue an executive order to block local governments from trying to prevent newly-arrived migrants from coming to their communities, which has been the case in parts of the Hudson Valley, said Legal Aid attorney Josh Goldfein. “We saw that Governor Cuomo did that during COVID. He said, ‘I’m in charge, these are the rules, local governments cannot make their own rules,’" Goldfein said. "And Governor Hochul could do exactly the same thing. She could take charge of this and not let every little jurisdiction try to make its own rules.’” Now the court might force the state to do more. HAPPY TUESDAY. Thanks for reading New York Playbook. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Making an economic development announcement with Mayor Eric Adams at Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, and appearing on NY’s “Inside City Hall” for a pre-taped interview. WHERE’S ERIC? Making an economic development announcement with Gov. Hochul at Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, visiting BronxWorks Morris Older Adult Center, delivering remarks at a flag-raising ceremony for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and hosting a reception honoring the Dominican community at Gracie Mansion. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We will be fighting to mobilize in all of the districts held by Republicans." — Rep. Grace Meng on redistricting next year.   A NEW PODCAST FROM POLITICO: Our new POLITICO Tech podcast is your daily download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy around the world. From AI and the metaverse to disinformation and cybersecurity, POLITICO Tech explores how today’s technology is shaping our world — and driving the policy decisions, innovations and industries that will matter tomorrow. SUBSCRIBE AND START LISTENING TODAY.     ABOVE THE FOLD Former state Sen. Jim Gaughran is launching a congressional campaign against Republican Rep. Nick LaLota. | Hans Pennink/AP Photo A NEW HOUSE CANDIDATE: Former state Sen. Jim Gaughran is launching a congressional campaign against Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in Long Island’s easternmost district. “One of the main issues motivating me is the Supreme Court decision taking away a woman’s reproductive rights,” Gaughran, who served four years in the Senate before retiring last year, told Playbook. “My daughter now has fewer reproductive rights than her mother and her grandmothers did.” The district that was held by Lee Zeldin through 2022 was one of Democrats’ top targets heading into last year’s elections. But LaLota cruised to victory after courts changed the lines and Zeldin’s gubernatorial candidacy drove up GOP turnout. Gaughran is the first Democrat to take steps toward challenging LaLota this year. But he’s the third recent member of the Senate’s Democratic conference to eye a Long Island House seat, joining Anna Kaplan and Kevin Thomas. Those candidacies are already having a bit of a ripple effect. Assemblymember Taylor Darling filed paperwork last week to raise money for Thomas’ Senate seat. — Bill Mahoney WHAT CITY HALL IS READING MIGRANT HOUSING COMING ONLINE: Three larger-scale emergency housing facilities for migrants will be ready in coming weeks, according to City Hall officials who did not commit to dates. Each setup is expected to shelter up to 2,000 asylum-seekers. A new humanitarian relief center will be erected on Randall’s Island with the state reimbursing the city for the costs, the Adams administration confirmed Monday. The state will also ultimately cover the construction, maintenance and staffing at the former Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, City Hall officials said. The third site is on Hall Street in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — Mayor Eric Adams isn’t having the MVP season he promised. (POLITICO) — What Adams says that’s truthful — and not. (New Yorker) — The monitor overseeing Rikers Island slammed “haphazard” management. (THE CITY) WHAT ALBANY'S READING DEMS EYE SENATOR: Democrats are dinging state Sen. Rob Rolison for his handling of lead pipes while mayor of Poughkeepsie, hinting at a potentially contested race to come next year. State records show more than 100 communities in New York applied for funding under the federal infrastructure law. Poughkeepsie, which has been criticized by advocates for its handling of lead in drinking water, did not. “As a senator, Rob Rolison has done nothing but oppose common sense help for homeowners and renters and now we find out that as mayor he failed to protect children from lead,” said Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy. Rolison’s campaign in a statement hit back calling it a false attack: “The bottom line is that as mayor of Poughkeepsie, Rob Rolison developed a plan to replace lead service lines at no cost to homeowners and the funding was awarded by the state.” It’s a potential test of vulnerability by Democrats for Rolison, who was elected to the state Senate last year. Democrats have a supermajority in the state Senate, giving them a comfortable cushion in Albany. But it also means the political map come election time is a lot more cramped. Democrats were clobbered on Long Island last year as Republicans gained back all but one district, making the Hudson Valley all the more pivotal. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — New York cannabis dispensary openings were halted by a court order in the latest setback. (POLITICO) — Andrew Cuomo’s sister helped orchestrate the online campaign to help him. (The New York Times) FROM THE DELEGATION Rep. Adriano Espaillat sails down the Harlem River on his second annual "environmental justice" boat tour on Monday. | Emily Ngo for POLITICO REPORTING FROM THE HARLEM RIVER: During a nearly three-hour tour aboard a chartered ferry, Rep. Adriano Espaillat on Monday pointed to the stark difference in public riverfront access between the city’s poorer and wealthier neighborhoods — north of 96th Street and south of it. “It’s the tale of two waterfronts,” Espaillat told Playbook, the only news outlet aboard for his second annual “environmental justice” boat ride. Also along for the tour were city and state elected officials, environmental advocates and students. — Emily Ngo AROUND NEW YORK —  Former Mayor de Blasio’s head of security left the NYPD amid the Manhattan DA's probe. (New York Daily News) — The alleged Lee Zeldin attacker was released from treatment programs one year after the incident. (New York Post) — New York's marijuana sales are underperforming. Here’s by how much. (LoHud)   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Ron Klain … CNN’s Kylie Atwood …  Malbert Media CEO Matthew Albert … Virginia Heffernan ... Marc Ambinder … CBS’ Lance Frank … Dow Jones’ Paul Brandus … ABC’s Claire Brinberg ... Morning Brew’s Josh Sternberg ... Nuriya Janss … Eric Brakey Real Estate — The Community Housing Improvement Program and the Rent Stabilization Association are in talks to potentially combine. 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