Congressional Republicans knock Democrats over influx of asylum seekers in New York City

The National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday released a digital ad targeting House Democrats over a wave of new migrants arriving at the southern border and in New York City.

“An unmitigated crisis,” a narrator says against a backdrop of clips depicting migrants traveling together en masse. “Not just at the border, but in the Big Apple.”

The video focuses on New York, showing migrants sleeping on sidewalks and residents protesting their arrival. The ad included images of several well-known politicians, including President Biden and other politicians and public figures of color. 

“Extreme Democrats’ response?” the narrator continued, before the words “Defund the police” appeared in capital letters. “It’s dangerous. It’s extreme, and Democrats run the other way when asked to step up."

The NRCC found success in New York in the midterm elections targeting Democrats on crime and tying them to the "defund the police" movement, though the effort seemed less successful in the country at large — at least when it came to the House elections.

Republicans did not gain as many seats as had been anticipated in the 2022 midterms, though it was enough for them to win back the House majority. Many of their gains were in New York, which will be a key battleground for control of the House in 2024.

“Ignoring the border crisis won’t solve New York’s migrant crisis, despite Hakeem Jeffries’ desperate wishes. Extreme House Democrats scurry away when asked about the issue – allowing the state’s GOP Congressional delegation to be the only face of reason in the Empire State,” NRCC press secretary Will Reinert said in a statement.

The video comes as New Yorkers have been struggling to find housing for migrants, and migrant encounters at the border are climbing once again, after dipping in June after the rollback of Title 42, the controversial pandemic-era policy that gave border agents the authority to turn away migrants.

Biden has introduced several policy solutions but many are now caught up in court as they face legal challenges from both sides of the political aisle.