NY Gov. Hochul backs NYC bid to suspend 'right to shelter' mandate amid immigrant influx

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has endorsed suspending the Big Apple's "right to shelter" mandate amid an influx of illegal immigrants that has strained New York City's infrastructure and flummoxed the local government.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has sought to suspend the law and warned that the influx of new arrivals threatens to "destroy New York City." In 1981, a court ordered that the city provide temporary housing to anyone upon request, according to the Associated Press. In May of this year, the city enacted a "Homeless Bill of Rights" that reiterated the mandate.

Adams has challenged the mandate in New York's Supreme Court. During a CNN appearance this week, Hochul endorsed Adams' efforts, saying repeal "is the right thing to do" and insisted the mandate was not intended to address a massive influx of illegal immigrants.

"The original premise behind the right to shelter was, for starters, for homeless men on the streets, people experiencing [AIDS] that was [then] extended to families," she said. "But never was it envisioned being an unlimited universal right, or obligation on the city, to house literally the entire world." 

A sanctuary city, Manhattan has witnessed more than 110,000 illegal alien arrivals in the past year, including roughly 13,000 sent by the government of Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been bussing illegals to left-wing sanctuary cities for more than a year in a bid to draw attention to Washington's lax approach to border enforcement.

Amid a surge in new arrivals, Adams attempted earlier this year to bus migrants out of the city and into the upstate region of New York, though that effort quickly met resolute opposition from those communities, who brought legal challenges.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.