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By Kevin Frey | February 23, 2024 | Spectrum News NY1

Gov. Kathy Hochul is welcoming the prospect of President Joe Biden taking executive action on immigration.

Hochul, who spoke to Spectrum News while at the White House Friday, simultaneously offered criticism of congressional Republicans.

Just weeks ago, a bipartisan border deal negotiated by senators fell apart on Capitol Hill, rejected by many Republicans in both chambers.

Hochul’s visit to the White House was part of the annual governors’ conference in Washington, D.C.

While there, she met with Biden’s Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients and other members of the president’s team. The surge of migrants in New York, straining city and state resources, was a focus of discussions.

Addressing the group of governors gathered at the White House Friday, Biden continued to tout the merits of the border deal and implored Congress to act.

“The bipartisan agreement represents the most fair and humane reforms in a long time. I didn’t get everything I wanted,” he said. “It also includes the toughest set of reforms to secure the border ever in history.”

Biden is now reportedly eying potential executive action on immigration, including restrictions on asylum seekers.

The idea has been met with pushback from some progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who earlier in the week wrote on social media that “doing Trump impressions isn’t how we beat Trump.”

Hochul said New York would support executive action.

“The challenge will be, of course, some group somewhere is going to file a lawsuit and shut it all down,” she said. “But I give the president credit for trying … I appreciate his leadership on this.”

Across the aisle, New York Republicans have blasted Hochul and her handling of the migrant surge.

In a post on social media, Rep. Mike Lawler wrote, “At no point has [Hochul] even attempted to meet with House Republicans, despite my inviting her to do so. At no point has she demanded President Biden end Catch and Release … At no point has she reversed New York’s disastrous policies, including its Sanctuary State policies.”

Lawler recently joined a bipartisan cohort of House lawmakers in unveiling their own plan coupling border policies with military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Hochul’s White House visit comes as Biden is facing questions about his age and low poll numbers ahead of the 2024 election.

In a statement, Hochul voiced support for the president. “These meetings made one thing exceedingly clear: President Biden is the leader our nation needs in these difficult times,” she wrote.

  Biden, executive actions, Gov. Kathy Hochul, immigration