New York mayor declares emergency over migrant influx (+ video)

New York’s mayor declared a state of emergency on Friday as thousands of migrants have been sent from southern border states since the spring, saying the demand for housing and other aid in the city is “unsustainable.”

“A city recovering from a global pandemic is being overwhelmed by a man-made humanitarian crisis,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “We’re on the brink of collapse…we need help, and we need it now.”

By the end of the fiscal year, Adams said, the city expects to spend $1 billion on aid for newcomers, many of whom rely on government assistance because federal law prohibits them from working in the United States.

Adams, a Democrat, welcomes newcomers to town. He spoke proudly of New York’s history as a point of arrival for immigrants.

“New Yorkers have always cared about our immigrant brothers and sisters. We see you in them. We see our ancestors in them,” he affirmed.

However, “while our compassion is unlimited, our resources are not,” he added.

New York City already has a shelter system that was overwhelmed this year due to an unexpected increase in those in need.

Adams said five to six buses arrive each day with migrants, nine on Thursday alone.

Many of those buses have been chartered by Republican officials in Texas and Arizona, who are trying to pressure President Joe Biden’s administration to change its border policies, sending migrants to mostly Democratic cities and states to the north.

One in five beds in New York’s homeless shelter system is now occupied by immigrants, and the influx has pushed their population to record levels.

The city has opened 42 temporary shelters, mostly in hotels, but Adams said more needs to be done.

The mayor said Friday that city agencies will coordinate to create more humanitarian centers, speed up the move from shelters to permanent housing — freeing up space for new arrivals — and establish a process with rooms available to New Yorkers. They are needed.

“We’re on the brink of a precipice and we need real cooperation”: New York Mayor Eric Adams declares state of emergency after mass exodus https://t.co/CXyaotzZsb pic.twitter.com/96JzffCZdN

— NTN24 (@NTN24) October 7, 2022

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