New York City Mayor Eric Adams pushed back on the influx of migrants arriving in the city by implementing new policies requiring charter buses from Texas to give a 32-hour notice and limiting the times of day migrants can be dropped off.
In a direct reproach to Texas Governor Greg Abbott sending buses of migrants to the city, Mr Adams signed an executive order on Thursday to try to take control of New York City’s growing migrant problem.
“I’m proud to be here with my fellow mayors to call on the federal government to do their part with one voice and to tell Texas Governor Abbott to stop the games and use of migrants as potential as political pawns,” Mr Adams said on Wednesday in a press conference with the mayors of Chicago and Denver.
“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night,” Mr Adams added.
Now, any buses, contracted by the state of Texas, carrying migrants can only arrive between 8.30am and noon on weekdays and must notify the city 32 hours in advance.
Since the end of Title 42, the Covid-era immigration policy, earlier this year, the US immigration system and cities have been extra strained as they were unprepared for the influx of migrant families to arrive.
Towns located on or near the border in Texas declared states of emergency as thousands of migrants were forced to sleep in tents or on the street as they awaited appointments with immigration services.
Mr Abbott, who has tried to block or criminalise migrants from crossing the border illegally, ordered the state to send buses of migrants to Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
However, the strategy has caused problems for cities like New York City which has received over 150,000 migrants since spring 2022. With little notice before migrants arrive, the city is running out of ways to provide shelter and food for migrants. Many of those arriving are families, leaving the city with the extra task of educating children as well.
Mr Adams said a violation of the new executive order could result in a misdemeanor punishable by fines or impounding of charter buses.
The coalition of mayors, including Mr Adams, largely placed responsibility on the Biden administration to assist in caring for and taking in hundreds of thousands of migrants.
In a private audience the mayors had with Biden administration officials in November, they asked the federal government for $5 billion as well as help making work authorizations more readily available among other requests.
Mr Adams has critical of President Joe Biden, claiming the president is not responding or as involved as he should be in the growing migrant crisis.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Adams said Mr Biden had not met with him about the issue this year.
“It baffles me. New York City is the economic engine of the state and the country,” Mr Adams said. “And I don’t have the answer.”
