Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that President Joe Biden’s administration needs to increase its efforts in addressing the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Adams visited the border in mid-January and urged the Biden administration to ramp up its federal funds to help New York City address the increase in migration to the city. He previously said New York City has reached a “breaking point” in the migrant crisis that exceeded record-high levels in fiscal year (FY) 2022.
“I think we must do more,” he said regarding the administration’s response. “And I take my hat off to the New York [State] Congressional Delegation, including Schumer and Congressman Jeffries: They were able to pass a bipartisan bill with over $800 million that is going to be dispersed to those cities that are involved. We’ve received $8 million from FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency], but when you look at the price tag, it’s going to continue to go up. But we have to go to the source. The source is real comprehensive immigration reform.”
He said the legislative and executive branches need to tackle the crisis happening at the border by “expedit[ing] the right to work” and by discussing solutions with officials at the state level. (RELATED: ‘The Far Left Is Doing Nothing’: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Rips Party Party Over Border Crisis)
“We are speaking directly to the Biden administration and yes, when it comes down to the coordination, when it comes down to the decompression strategy, when it comes down to making sure we find ways to allow people to work so they don’t have to only sit around all day,” he continued. “Yes, I’m speaking directly to the administration. This is a problem that we must have a resolution both from Congress on immigration, but [also] the administration to deal with the immediate need that we have.”
Adams directed New York City’s resources to set up shelters for illegal migrants after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bussed roughly 8,000 migrants to the city from May to September 2022. The Democrat-led city of El Paso, Texas, also sent 25 buses of illegal immigrants to the city in September.
New York City subsequently began constructing two Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers to temporarily house the approximate 13,000 migrants bussed to the location as of September 2022. In the same month, 60 men were denied beds in the shelter system, according to CBS News. The Legal Aid Society cited an operational complication as to why the men were denied lodging, the outlet reported.