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Mayor Adams says President Biden has ‘failed’ NYC on migrant crisis
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 19, 2023
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Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 19, 2023
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About a year into the migrant crisis, Mayor Eric Adams took direct aim at President Joe Biden, saying the federal government needs to provide the city with greater financial aid to address a surge of immigrants at the southern border escaping violence and poverty.
“The national government has turned its back on New York City,” Adams said at a news conference at City Hall on Wednesday morning.
In similar blunt terms, he later added: “The president and the White House has failed New York City on this issue.”
The comments amounted to the mayor’s harshest criticism yet of Biden and his administration’s handling of the crisis, which the city says will cost over $4 billion over the next two years. It was a startling shift in tone for Adams, a fellow Democrat who had once referred to himself as the ‘Biden of Brooklyn.’
Since last spring, more than 50,000 migrants have been bussed to New York City from border states, according to the city’s estimates. Of that figure, more than 34,000 are currently receiving help from the city.
The funding options have so far appeared limited. So far city officials say they have only obtained $8 million in aid from state and federal sources. Gov. Kathy Hochul has included $1 billion in the yet-to-be-finalized state budget for the city’s migrants. Congress has approved an $800 million federal aid package for asylum-seekers but that pot will be shared among several cities.
Adams administration officials must figure out how it will come up with the remaining sum.
The mayor says footing the bulk of those costs is affecting everyday New Yorkers.
He is also urging Biden to expedite work permits for asylum-seekers.
“This is impacting our schools, public safety, our ability to take care of those already in shelters. This is impacting the entire city,” Adams said.
The mayor says he called for greater cuts to city agencies as a result of the crisis. Adams' critics have said he has been scapegoating migrants and insist that the city has funds available to properly respond to the crisis.
City Comptroller Brad Lander supported the mayor’s call for more state and federal assistance but said in a statement that the city could also free up more shelter space by “scaling up efforts to enable homeless New Yorkers to move from shelter into permanent housing.”
Adams’ comments came the same day that Jumaane Williams, the city's public advocate, went to Washington, D.C. to implore the federal government to step up efforts in helping undocumented immigrants, which he says include increasing monies to immigration courts to clear the backlog of cases and boost the number of visas per country.
A spokesperson for the White House says the federal government will announce additional migrant funding in the coming weeks.
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new york city
Politics
Asylum Seekers
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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]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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