New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) suggested Thursday that his state does not have the resources to take in an influx of migrants from New York City at the direction of the White House.
“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 said during a weekly telecast.
His comments come as the Biden Administration is reportedly considering relocating migrants to Atlantic City International Airport after they’d already been bused to New York City by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
During his televised interview Thursday, Murphy said he hadn’t heard about the matter from any federal officials or the White House, but he added, “Putting everything else aside, I just don’t see it. I would suspect that that will continue to be the case.”
The governor’s comments are in contrast to a claim he made in 2017 during the Trump Administration. At that time Murphy said, “We will stand up to this President [Trump]. If need be, we will be a sanctuary not just city but state.”
On Thursday Murphy stated, “We’ve always been a nation of immigrants, but that doesn’t mean it can be the Wild West.”
Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) urged the Biden Administration to increase federal aid to her state to cope with the migrant influx from Texas, calling their busing a “despicable decision” by Abbott.
She stressed a request for executive action to expedite work authorization for migrants—work visas and green cards—to help the migrants support themselves and their families, along with a need for more federal housing vouchers and the construction of more temporary housing.
