New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Jackie Robinson Museum, Tuesday, June 26, 2022, in New York.
Julia Nikhinson/AP
NYC Mayor Adams decried the migrant “humanitarian crisis” that has brought over 11,000 migrants to the city.
Texas Gov. Abbott has bused about 2,500 migrants to NYC in a political stunt criticizing immigration laws.
Adams said the city may use cruise ships to house migrants as the system is “nearing its breaking point.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized the bussing of migrants as a “humanitarian crisis made by human hands” as the city looks for alternate ways to house the influx of asylum seekers from the southern border.
Republican leaders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have flown and bused immigrants from the border to northern states as a political stunt. Since May, some 11,000 asylum seekers have entered New York’s shelter system, including about 2,500 that were bused to the state from Texas, CNN reported.
“We should be clear that this is, as you stated, a humanitarian crisis created by human hands, and it is an all-hands-on-deck moment where we’re all supposed to come together and coordinate,” Adams told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Adams has said the city shelter system is “nearing its breaking point” in its capacity and has begun to consider using cruise ships to house migrants.
“We’re examining everything, from the legality of using any type of cruise ship for temporary housing. We’re looking at everything to see how do we deal with this,” Adams told CBS News last week.
—CNN (@CNN) September 18, 2022
On CNN on Sunday, Adams said it is an “all-hands-on-deck moment” and called on the federal government and Governors DeSantis and Abbott to “come together and coordinate.”
“We should not be really treating other cities and municipalities in the manner that we’re witnessing now,” Adams said. “It is time for us to coordinate this humanitarian crisis that our country is facing.”
Adams added that his office has tried to reach out to Gov. Abbott, but that his office has refused “to do any form of coordination.”
Despite the concerns about capacity, Adams maintained “this is a right-to-shelter city, and we’re going to fulfill our obligations.” New York’s right-to-shelter laws make it the only city in the country where asylum must be given to anyone who asks for it, per The New York Times. Last week, the Times reported that Adams suggested the system’s “prior practices…must be reassessed,” an idea that was swiftly dismissed by local state lawmakers.
On CNN, Adams said he is not considering changing the law.
“We’re not considering and we don’t believe we should change the right-to-shelter law. What needs to be looked at is the actual practices, because I’m sure, 40 years ago, when this law was put into place, no one thought that we would receive over 11,000 migrants or asylum seekers,” Adams said.