Dem Governor Murphy says NJ can't take any migrants from NYC as DHS eyes new housing locations

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White House reportedly offers airports as housing for migrants

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., explains why he believes the White House's suggestion to house migrants in rural airports is a disaster in the making.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday his state cannot take any migrants from New York City as the Biden administration seeks new locations to house them, including Garden State locations. 

"I don't see any scenario where we're going to be able to take in a program in Atlantic City or, frankly, elsewhere in the state," Murphy told News 12. 

Murphy was responding to a report the Atlantic City International Airport was one of 11 suggested federally owned locations that could be used by New York City to relocate some of the migrants officials say are overwhelming the "sanctuary" city.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital this week it had made recommendations formed by an assessment team of experts sent by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to assess the Big Apple’s migrant operations. 

DHS TO LAUNCH ‘NATIONAL CAMPAIGN’ TO GET SOME MIGRANTS WORK PERMITS AS NEW YORK BEGS FOR HELP

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has said New Jersey does not have space for any migrants from New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York City politicians have said the city is overwhelmed by the more than 100,000 migrants the city has encountered since last year and have called for more federal action, including funding, an emergency declaration and expedited work authorizations. 

Included in those recommendations from DHS were 11 federal sites across New York state and nearby where migrants could potentially be housed. Bloomberg News reported that those locations include the Atlantic City airport. It also reportedly includes Massena International Airport, which is a U.S. port of entry for the U.S.-Canada border.

Murphy, however, poured cold water on any such move Thursday.

"We are already seeing folks in New Jersey that have probably swelled into Jersey from New York City or from other locations, but you need scale, enormous amount of federal support — resources that go beyond anything that we can afford — putting everything else aside," he said.

The statement by Murphy shows the political difficulties the Biden administration faces with the resettlement of migrants, who have streamed into the U.S. in the millions since the crisis began in 2021.

Many have moved north, either on their own or with the assistance of transportation by Texas and other states. 

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As a result, Democrats typically allied with the administration have been deeply critical of what they see as a lack of action to help them with what the states say is a federal problem.

DHS CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO NYC'S MIGRANT CRISIS OPERATIONS AS ADAMS PUSHES BACK

Leaders in New York and other Democratic-run states have called for greater work authorization for migrants, federal emergency declarations and even more federal funding.

The DHS expert team had made a number of recommendations to New York City, while also renewing its own push for Congress to pass immigration reform to what it says is a "broken" system. 

DHS also said this week it is launching a national campaign to help work-eligible migrants get employment authorization.

NYC MIGRANT CRISIS COSTS COULD HIT $12 BILLION; MAYOR ADAMS URGES FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION

Hundreds of migrants sleeping outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan July 31, 2023. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)

The recommendations from DHS to NYC include increasing information collection at intake centers, overall communication to move migrants through the system, a greater focus on case management — including legal services — and more information on work authorization and asylum applications.

The recommendations were met with coolness from NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who said, "We’re happy they really engage in these conversations" but suggested the recommendations were not getting to the root of the issue.

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"So, each time we open a new space, that's not an answer. It's not sustainable," Adams told reporters. "If you average 10,000 people a month and if the national plan is to have New York City continue to find spaces, that is not an answer. And if the national plan is that slowly see if New York move more on the waiting list to get work authorization, that's not an answer."