New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Sunday predicted an “influx” of buses carrying asylum seekers to his city from the southern border after the Title 42 immigration policy is slated to end this week.
The controversial authority allowed officials to quickly expel foreign nationals at the border under the guise of public health concerns, but a federal judge has set a Wednesday deadline for the policy to end, leading to worries that the already large number of migrant encounters will soar even higher.
Three GOP governors have relocated migrants to northern, Democrat-run cities to raise awareness of overwhelmed border communities and protest the Biden administration’s immigration policies, and Adams said he expects New York City to receive more than 1,000 additional migrants weekly once Title 42 expires.
“The flow of asylum seekers to New York City has slowed in recent months but the tool that the federal government has used to manage those coming over the border is set to expire this week, and we have been told in no uncertain terms that, beginning today, we should expect an influx of busses coming from the border and that more than 1,000 additional asylum seekers will arrive in New York City every week,” Adams said in a statement on Sunday.
“We are in urgent need for help, and it’s time for our state and federal partners to act — especially those in Congress who refuse to provide the financial resources or issue temporary work authorizations necessary for these individuals to live properly,” he added.
Adams did not specify who is sending the additional buses.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has sent thousands of migrants to New York City already, while Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has focused on sending migrants to Washington, D.C.
The Hill has reached out to Abbott and Ducey’s offices for comment.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also gained attention after his office supported flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., an island known for its wealthy residents.
Adams said New York City has already received more than 31,000 asylum seekers, touting the city’s dozens of emergency shelters and other facilities set up to support them, although he expressed concern that the current trajectory is unsustainable.
“Our shelter system is full, and we are nearly out of money, staff and space,” Adams said. “Truth be told, if corrective measures are not taken soon, we may very well be forced to cut or curtail programs New Yorkers rely on, and the pathway to house thousands more is uncertain. These are not choices we want to make, but they may become necessary, and I refuse to be forced to choose new arrivals over current New Yorkers. I’ll say it again — we need a plan, we need assistance, and we need it now.”