 Borough President Vito Fossella questioned the government’s expected $600 million annual cost on the migrant crisis while basic needs for active military families are not met during a press conference at Fort Wadsworth on Dec. 15.
“The fundamental question is are we focusing on the people that matter the most, on the things that matter most and the priorities that matter most,” said Borough President Fossella. “Or are we just throwing money into thin air on things that really don’t?” He said NYC recently submitted an invoice to the federal government for a billion dollars to care for those seeking asylum. “A billion dollars, yet our active military personnel are begging for food and diapers and wipes for their children,” he said. “Something’s not right with it.” Last month, Borough President Fossella and other local elected officials reported results of a financial analysis they requested from the Independent Budget Office (IBO) of New York City regarding the migrant crisis. They concluded that the city would spend about $600 million a year to shelter the 23,800 asylum seekers who have come to NYC. IBO estimated that a family of four who enters a shelter for a year and has two children enrolled in public school while receiving basic needs, and some health and legal services will cost $93,000 per year. “Where are our priorities?” he asked. “The amount of money the government is spending on the migrant crisis could assist all of these families who have trouble making ends meet.” Comments are closed.
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