New York Mayor Eric Adams has implemented fresh regulations on buses transporting migrants into the city, aiming to manage the influx of asylum seekers directed by the Texas governor.
This week, Adams issued an executive order outlining guidelines for the entry of buses carrying migrants who may require shelter and other emergency services. The order specifies the conditions under which such buses can enter the city and discharge passengers.
Adams stated on Wednesday during a virtual press briefing with the mayors of Denver and Chicago, “This is not stopping people from coming, but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated and orderly way.“
Numerous migrant-filled charter buses have been arriving in the city on a weekly basis, even during nights and weekends when there is limited staff available to assist in coordinating services, as stated in Adams’ executive order.
Additionally, the buses are reported to discharge passengers at various locations throughout the city, according to the order.
According to the directive released on Wednesday, “(A) great many passengers on such charter buses have sought emergency shelter and other immediate services from the City.”
Thousands of migrants have been transported by bus to destinations in New York and beyond. In response, an executive order mandates that charter buses entering New York City must notify the city’s emergency management commissioner at least 32 hours in advance.
These buses will also be subject to restrictions regarding the times of day they can enter the city, with violators facing potential class B misdemeanor charges. Mayor Adams has issued a warning that the city may impound buses for non-compliance.
As per the executive order, bus operators are required to inform the city of the number of passengers likely to seek emergency services. Additionally, they are only permitted to drop off passengers on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and noon.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently highlighted his migrant transportation program, stating that over 29,300 migrants have been bused to New York City since August 2022, along with tens of thousands to other cities such as Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Abbott attributes the necessity of such programs to the perceived failure of the Biden Administration to secure the border, emphasizing the ongoing efforts of Operation Lone Star, the state’s border enforcement program.
However, Democratic mayors, dealing with the unexpected influx of migrants, criticize Abbott for what they perceive as playing politics rather than collaborating with them to effectively resettle the newcomers. They argue that many migrants are unprepared for cold weather and lack proper accommodations upon arrival.
“Gov. Abbott has made it clear he wants to destabilize cities, sending thousands of migrants and asylum seekers here to the city,” Adams said. “I have to navigate the city out of it.”
Adams has labeled the surge of migrants as a “crisis” and accused Abbott of leveraging them as “political pawns.”
Recently, Chicago enacted similar measures to regulate incoming buses of migrants, leading to suburbs dealing with buses dropping off individuals just outside the city, as reported by NBC Chicago.
Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy stated that New York City has witnessed 7,200 migrants arriving in the past two weeks. In a single night last week, a record 14 “rogue” buses carrying migrants from Texas reached the city, according to Levy.
Facing a shortage of space and resources in the shelter system, Adams’ administration is working to transport migrants out of the city. Earlier this year, the city established a “reticketing center” offering free one-way tickets to arriving migrants anywhere in the world.
Adams estimates that the influx of migrants will cost the city approximately $12 billion over the next three years.
The U.S.-Mexico border is experiencing an unprecedented wave of migrants, with tens of thousands traveling through the Western Hemisphere. People from diverse nations are using Mexico as a pathway to reach the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported over 240,000 encounters with migrants in both October and November, marking the first two months of fiscal 2024. In the previous year, CBP recorded more than 2.5 million migrant encounters at the Southwest border, setting a historical record.
