Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday afternoon extended an executive order that declares a state of emergency in response to the arrival of migrants, which she said will enable the state and localities to quickly respond.

The extension allows the state to access funding to continue to mobilize National Guard members, who are providing support at sites housing migrants that arrived in New York City and were sent to other municipalities in throughout state.

The order facilitates the quick purchase of necessary supplies and resources, including food and equipment, Hochul said.

"The Executive Order is necessary for New York State’s continued response to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis and provides the State with the ability for a more robust response," the governor said in a statement Friday.

The action comes on the heels of Hochul’s announcement of $20 million to help expedite casework filings for more than 30,000 asylum seekers. The state has set aside $1.5 billion for support services and resources for migrants.

More than 100,000 people from the southern border have arrived in New York over the last year, according to a letter Hochul sent to the federal government this week.

“New York State continues to deploy significant resources to support the City's efforts to shelter asylum seekers who have arrived here in search of a better life,” Hochul said. “This Executive Order allows us to continue our robust response to this unprecedented crisis as we work to provide shelter and humanitarian aid to these individuals."

Hochul continued pressing the federal government and the Biden administration this week for more action on migrants and immigration reform to alleviate the pressure on local and state government. Additional federal funding, according to a White House spokesperson, would need to come from Congress.

Hochul on Friday also announced a program that she said will greatly expand the state’s ability to help asylum seekers quickly obtain employment.

She directed the state Department of Labor to help connect migrants with employment opportunities soon after they obtain federal work authorization. Asylum seekers with work authorization in New York can now register for assistance here.

Those moves come after Hochul asked the federal government to accelerate the granting of work authorizations for migrants by granting Temporary Protected Status to countries where migrants are arriving from, like Venezuela.

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