Dozens of faith leaders from NYC plan to travel down to Washington DC and urge lawmakers to take action on the asylum seeker crisis.
Pastor Edward-Richard Hinds — a Brooklyn reverand who is the president of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council known as “The Godsqaud” — said he will travel to the nation’s capital on Tuesday with 55 other leaders of nearly every religion from across the five boroughs to talk to with lawmakers.
“We have been very concerned with the migrant crisis that is impacting our communities,” Pastor Hinds told The Post. “It affects all of us and we are all very concerned about the crisis that is looming.”
The city is currently caring for nearly 65,000 asylum seekers across more than two hundred makeshift shelters and tent cities, leaving the Big Apple on the hook for roughly $10 billion through the next fiscal year.
For its part, the feds have provided less than $150 million while the administration has enacted steep cuts to city agencies to balance the budget.
The group has meetings on the books with both New York senators, Chuck Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D), but is hoping to make their appeal to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle from around the country.
The faith leaders’ mission is to move the needle on “common sense” immigration reform and a fast-tracked worker authorization program, the reverand said.
“Houses of worship provide a key part of communities,” Hinds said, adding, “We have played our part and are playing our part as faith leadership by welcoming these asylum seekers when they arrive.”
“We are calling on the collective to join and provide resources to New York City and all cities.”
The trip is a welcome sight for Mayor Eric Adams who has been pushing for months for New Yorkers to lobby the lawmakers in DC for help with the crisis that has seen more than 180,000 asylum seekers come through NYC.
Hinds, a youth pastor at Rugby Deliverance Tabernacle in East Flatbush, said late last year he planned to organize a trip with faith leaders, heeding the call from the mayor.
“I’m grateful to these faith leaders for their steadfast advocacy on behalf of New York City to help deliver funding, expedited work authorization, and national coordination to meet this pivotal moment in our city’s history,” Adams said of the trip.
“This has not only taken a whole-of-government approach, but also a whole-of-New York City approach.”
