The Democratic mayors of five cities in the US have demanded a meeting with President Joe Biden as they call for help in tackling a surging number of migrants.
Mayors in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York say they need $5 billion of federal support to help cope with an influx of people arriving.
The leaders claim they are having to get by with little help from his administration, according to a letter released on Wednesday.
Within days, the mayors are planning to travel to Washington DC as a matter of urgency.
Mayors in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York say they need $5 billion of federal support to help cope with an influx of people arriving
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Migrants are said to be unable to find work which would allow them to get into proper housing due to fewer available work authorisations.
"The crisis is we have folks here who desperately want to work," Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told the Associated Press.
"And we have employers here who desperately want to hire them. And we have a federal government that's standing in the way of employers who want to hire employees who want to work."
In Denver, the number of migrants arriving has surged and available space to shelter them has reduced.
Biden has been criticised by members of his own party over his response to the growing number of migrants in their cities.
The US president has tightened rules at the border in a bid to curb illegal crossings and offered work authorisations and other incentives to those who come to the US legally.
Emilie Simons, deputy White House press secretary, said: "We're committed to supporting local jurisdictions that are hosting migrants that have recently arrived into the country. We're going to continue to deliver support every way that we can."
The reason behind the rapidly increasing number of migrants in the US is likely caused by economic and climate-related hardships in their home countries.
The US president has tightened rules at the border in a bid to curb illegal crossings and offered work authorisations and other incentives to those who come to the US legally
Reuters
Biden has requested $1.4 billion from Congress to support state and local governments provide shelter and services for migrants.
But Johnston and the other mayors say in their letter that more is needed.
"While we are greatly appreciative of the additional federal funding proposed, our city budgets and local taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of this ongoing federal crisis," the letter says.
"Cities have historically absorbed and integrated new migrants with success."
