ALBANY, NY (WENY)-- This week some New York state lawmakers are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to call a special session of the legislature to address the ongoing migrant crisis.

The state Senate and Assembly Republican conference recently sent letters to the Governor.

“We need to act, and we need to act soon,” said Assembly Member Phil Palmesano (R-Corning).

Assembly Member Palmesano said some of the proposed legislation highlighted in the recent letter to Gov. Hochul could help address the migrant crisis--including one proposal intending to allow local municipalities to choose to accept asylum seekers from other jurisdictions. 

“We need to make sure that our upstate communities are protected so that they don’t have to deal with this ‘Right to Shelter,’ situation that is going in New York City, because we don’t have the resources or the services to provide that assistance,” Palmesano said. 

Some Democratic lawmakers said they would be happy to come back for a special session to address the issue. Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26th Senate District) said there is more the state could do. 

“I think that there is a big opportunity to make sure that all parts of the state are doing their part. The migrants who are coming here, they’re not coming here just to live in New York City, they’re coming to this country with just the shirts on their back to start a better life here. There are so many places across our state where we can place people,” he said.  

Other state lawmakers said there is only so much the legislature can do at the state level. 

“Until the federal government does its job of increasing work permits, of making those work permits more readily available, of creating real immigration reform, we’re going to continue to have a crisis,”  said Assembly Member Catalina Cruz (D-Assembly District 39).

The Governor's press secretary stated in an email to WENY News, Gov. Hochul has led New York throughout the migrant crisis. 

"Republicans should be focused on pressuring their GOP colleagues in Washington to pass meaningful immigration legislation that fixes work authorization and helps end this crisis. Republicans have stood in the way of common-sense immigration reform for decades and now New York is facing the consequences," Gov. Hochul's press secretary wrote.