Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
How much is Mayor Adams’ Latin America tour costing taxpayers? City Hall won't say.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 6, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
New York City mayor's office
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 6, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Prior to leaving for a whirlwind Latin America trip that will take him to three countries and a treacherous jungle crossing, Mayor Eric Adams attempted to head off accusations that he is wasting taxpayer dollars.
“I'm paying my own way,” Adams told reporters on Tuesday. “You know my rule, my dime, my time, don't whine.”
But in an often overlooked aspect of mayoral travel, taxpayers will in fact end up footing the bill for a significant portion of the trip: Adams’ security detail and staffers. Members of the NYPD routinely follow the mayor wherever he goes to offer protection, and none of that changes when he goes outside the city.
An overseas itinerary means they will rack up airfare, hotel, meal and overtime costs. But City Hall has so far declined to say what the cost to taxpayers will be.
“The real cost here is the cost of sending everybody,” said John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a good government group.
The mayor, who arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday night, has billed his visit to the region as a way of gaining a better on-the-ground understanding of the migrant crisis and dissuading migrants from coming to New York City. The Mexico leg of the trip is being funded by the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, a nonprofit led by business and civic interests, according to the mayor’s office.
Kaehny said mayors should avoid having their travel paid by special interest groups, who may be seeking contracts or favors from the city.
While he was in Mexico City, Adams spoke at a business forum that included a conversation with the CEO of Mexico AT&T.
Adams is said to be footing the bill for his visits to Ecuador and Colombia.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio famously got in trouble for misusing his security detail. During his ill-fated 2020 campaign for president, taxpayers paid nearly $320,000 for his security detail to travel on 31 out-of-state campaign trips.
In this case, Adams is entitled to having a security detail and staff accompany him. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the mayor asserted that the entire trip could be publicly funded.
“We make the determination that during these tough fiscal times, that we're going to pick up our tab, but there's nothing illegal or unethical if we would have charged this to taxpayers,” Adams said.
But City Hall is apparently trying to play down how much the trip will cost taxpayers.
At the outset, the mayor’s office suggested that the only administration members accompanying Adams on the trip would be Commissioner of International Affairs Edward Mermelstein and Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Manuel Castro, who are both said to be paying for their own expenses.
But on Wednesday, Kayla Mamelak, a deputy press secretary, told Gothamist that she would also be going, although City Hall did not say how her trip would be paid.
Timothy Pearson, a close friend and adviser to the mayor, is also on the trip. The mayor’s office said Pearson is employed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, a city-controlled nonprofit, and that his expenses will not be paid by taxpayer dollars.
The mayor’s office did not respond when asked whether Adams would be joined by his body person, an individual who routinely travels with the mayor and is tasked with keeping him on schedule. And city officials did not provide a complete list of who was joining the mayor.
Few mayors in recent history have made their travel receipts public, likely for fear of stoking controversy or having their trips become politicized.
“Truth be told, it's better for everyone if it is just an accountable cost to the taxpayer that's transparent,” Kaehny said, adding, “It's good when mayors feel like they're under scrutiny as to how they spend the money."
According to the mayor, the NYPD's intelligence bureau would make the determination of how many NYPD personnel would accompany him on his journey. He waved away the question about how much his security would cost.
“I'm sure you want me to be safe,” Adams said. “And so the last thing we should be talking about is how much it costs to keep your mayor safe.”
The NYPD did not respond to an inquiry about the size of the mayor’s security detail.
But two former city officials, who spoke to Gothamist on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional repercussions, said international trips could require anywhere between six to 12 NYPD personnel. One of them estimated the cost of bringing a security detail could amount to tens of thousands of dollars.
Both said it was likely the mayor would also need a body person.
Complicating matters in this case is the mayor’s decision to travel to the Darien Gap, a jungle connecting South and Central America that has become a popular albeit dangerous route for migrants.
The U.S. State Department has cautioned Americans to reconsider traveling to Colombia, where Adams is expected to visit Bogota and make his way to the Darien Gap.
When asked about the risk level around the mayor’s trip, a state department spokesperson cited “criminal activity and drug and human trafficking networks” in many areas of the Darien Gap.
The spokesperson added that the U.S. government has “limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these regions.”
Adams himself acknowledged the potential danger on his trip.
“There is a real safety risk,” he said. “We are aware of that. And the entire team that decided to be a part of this trip, they are aware of that as well.”
He said his office was communicating with local authorities, who he said would complement his security detail.
Adams would not be the first New York City mayor to assume personal risk while traveling in a foreign country. As the press secretary for former Mayor Ed Koch, George Arzt recalled a tense moment when he joined his boss at a public plaza in Managua, Nicaragua. Koch was part of a nine-member delegation sent to examine the political climate in Central America, and they had come to hear the country’s socialist President Daniel Ortega deliver a speech.
As Ortega spoke to tens of thousands of his Sandinista supporters, it was unclear what kind of reception there would be for the American mayor — until the crowd began to chant in Spanish, 'Allí, allá, ¡Yanqui morirá!”
Arzt turned to Luis Miranda Jr., Koch’s director for Hispanic affairs who served as a liaison and translator on the trip.
“I asked him, ‘What are they saying?’” he said. “He said, ‘Don’t worry. All they are saying is ‘Yankees here and there will die.’” They were not referring to the baseball team.
The audience eventually calmed down after Ortega told them Koch was a friend.
“Everything settled down but I was really scared,” Arzt said. “If those people wanted to rush us, there’s nothing we could have done.”
Tagged
Asylum Seekers
city budget
Politics
eric adams
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
Stargazers will have a great view of Saturn and two meteor showers in October.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
News
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
By
Ryan Kost
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .