Good morning. It's Tuesday. Today we'll look at how the migrant crisis in New York City became a campaign issue that candidates from both sides of the aisle in the state are using to attract voters.
New York City has long been a safe haven for migrants coming to America. It welcomed more than 210,000 asylum seekers in the past two years alone. But the mass arrival of newcomers from other countries has become a potent issue that politicians and hopeful candidates are looking to capitalize on. Reporting by my colleague Luis Ferré-Sadurní determined that political fallout over the crisis has been a mainstay topic in competitive House races across the state, as well as on the presidential stage. Republicans are citing the city as an example of disarray created by Democratic immigration policies. A congressman in the Hudson Valley during a debate earlier this month highlighted crimes committed by migrants, while other Republicans, desperate to maintain a House seat in central New York, have aired ads against Mayor Eric Adams featuring images of migrants sleeping on city sidewalks. Democrats are adopting a stricter approach to border security in response. One Democratic candidate on Long Island vowed to secure the southern border because the suburbs were "feeling the migrant crisis almost every day" as a result of spillover from New York City. The issue has been even more in the spotlight on the national stage as former President Donald J. Trump weaves the migrant influx into other issues voters care about: affordability and crime. Just this weekend Mr. Trump vowed to implement mass deportation and spoke against undocumented immigrants with great hostility during a closing rally at Madison Square Garden. Earlier this month he said migrant criminals had "taken over Times Square," embellishing recent reporting by The New York Post. Republicans in New York have similarly used the city as a target in debates, attack ads and stump speeches as they campaign in hotly contested races for the House. Some wielded a statewide ballot question intended to codify abortion rights in the state as a platform to argue that it would create special services and rights for undocumented immigrants. Many Republicans vying for the attention of upstate and suburban voters are making the crisis a focal point in their campaigns, often stating that money for taxpayer-funded services that migrants receive, such as hotels and debit cards for families, is wastefully spent. The issue is drawing attention just as the number of people crossing the southern border has dropped and the migrant crisis in the city is showing signs of stabilization. Democrats have been able to stem some of the fallout as Mr. Adams largely ditched plans to bus migrants upstate. Still, fears that the migrant crisis could hurt New York Democrats in November remain. Public polling at the height of the influx indicated voters disapproved of how all Democrats, including Mr. Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and President Biden, were handling the issue. A Siena College poll released from August found that 64 percent of New Yorkers said the influx had became worse over the last year, with a higher share of suburban voters viewing the crisis as more dire. Now Democrats facing off in these House races are intent on letting voters know they want to secure the border, with some even deflecting blame onto Republicans for upending a border deal in Congress. That approach helped Representative Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat, win a special election on Long Island in February. About one-fifth of the nearly $57 million in television ads that both Republicans and Democrats have spent in state congressional races this cycle have addressed immigration, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks ad spending. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat expected to win re-election, has flipped the script on her own ads. While she once favored disbanding the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, she has more recently spent over $1 million on an ad emphasizing her support of funding for more border patrol agents. Alyssa Cass, a Democratic political consultant, said that Democrats in close races who had "rebranded" enough to mollify voters' skepticism about border policies could focus on other issues that were important to swing voters. "When it comes to the border, Democrats have evolved this cycle to really meet voters where they are," she said. "It's not that they need to win on the issue. If the border is a top issue, they just need to close the trust gap." WEATHER Expect a partly sunny sky, a high near the mid-60s and light wind in the morning. For tonight, expect a mostly cloudy sky with a low near the mid-50s. ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING In effect today. The latest New York news
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Dear Diary: I was on a moms' night out during the daytime because it was the only time our group could get away. After sitting in a Ridgewood bar exchanging stories about our children, talking about New York City schools and comparing our work schedules, we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream. After getting some, we were standing on the sidewalk enjoying our pastel-colored treats when my scoop fell on the sidewalk. My friends urged me to ask for a replacement, but I was embarrassed and just stood there blushing and giggling. Other people joined the chorus, saying it was a rule at ice cream windows that you get a replacement if your scoop falls. Someone's dog was eyeing mine as it melted on the pavement. Finally, a man in a paper hat approached us and asked who had dropped the matcha scoop that was now trickling into a crack in the sidewalk. It only took about five seconds for him to bring me a new cone. This one had sprinkles. — Kerry Martin Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. James Barron will be back tomorrow. S.C. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Makaelah Walters and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@nytimes.com. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
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N.Y. Today: Migrants as an election trope
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