With thousands of migrants being bused in from the south, the mayor has blamed ‘politics’ for the crisis
FILE PHOTO: Buses of migrants continue to arrive in New York, at the Port Authority bus terminal in midtown New York City. © Andrew Lichtenstein / Corbis via Getty Images
New York Mayor Eric Adams declared a 30-day state of emergency on Friday amid the migrant crisis, adding that the new influx will cost the city $1 billion. The move comes as several US states are sending thousands of migrants from the southern border to Democrat-run areas, including NYC.
Speaking to reporters at City Hall, Adams described the “humanitarian crisis” the Big Apple has found itself in, with more than 61,000 people currently housed in the city’s shelters. Almost a third of them are children, he said.
The mayor blamed “American political dynamics” for the desperate situation, saying, “thousands of asylum seekers have been bused into New York City and simply dropped off, without notice, coordination, or care,” with more arriving every day.
“Our right-to-shelter laws, our social services, and our values are being exploited by others for political gain,” he stated. “New Yorkers are angry. I am angry, too.”
Adams warned that with the overwhelming influx of migrants, their numbers will soon reach 100,000, and that New York will have to spend $1 billion in the current fiscal year alone to manage the crisis.
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“Though our compassion is limitless, our resources are not,” he said, calling for emergency federal and state aid.
The executive order that the mayor issued will allow the city to open emergency relief centers more quickly by exempting them from a number of review procedures. It will also make it easier for city agencies to coordinate their efforts.
In response to the declaration, the spokesman for Texas Governor Greg Abbott called Adams “an absolute hypocrite,” adding that instead of “complaining about a few thousand migrants in his sanctuary city,” the mayor should tell President Joe Biden to “do his job and secure the border.”
In recent months, Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, both Republicans, have been sending busloads of immigrants to New York and Washington in an attempt to put the border crisis in the spotlight.
Earlier this month, Adams attempted to reach a deal to house illegal migrants aboard a massive vessel owned by Norwegian Cruise Line and docked at Staten Island. Later, a local administration official revealed that the parties were unable to strike a deal, as the company wanted to charge too much.
