Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has expressed his concern about the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the city and has requested that a judge reconsider the city’s sanctuary city law. According to Adams, the city is facing a humanitarian crisis that nobody had anticipated when the law was first introduced. He explained that he is following the law as a law enforcement officer and that a fair, balanced, and equitable judiciary is necessary to protect and advance justice and equality.
The mayor’s statement comes as hotels in upstate New York have reportedly canceled pre-booked hotel rooms to accommodate the influx of illegal immigrants. Reports suggest that homeless veterans staying in multiple hotels have been told to leave immediately, and their temporary housing will not be extended. The city of Newburgh, which is approximately 60 miles north of New York City, has become the staging ground for illegal immigrants as the mayor continues to transport them into the county from New York City.
Mayor Adams signed an emergency declaration, suspending the city’s right-to-shelter rules, which find private rooms for illegal immigrants immediately. New York City has cared for over 61,000 migrants over the last year, sheltering, feeding, and caring for them almost entirely on their own. However, the city is concerned that without more support from federal and state partners, the worst may be yet to come.
The city has reached its limit, and the last week it had to resort to temporarily housing recent arrivals in gyms. To mitigate those risks and find room within their shelter system, the city has temporarily suspended the policy surrounding the timing for placements in shelters. The spokesperson concluded that the city would make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible.
Mayor Adams said it was a hard decision to sign the emergency declaration, but it was the right thing to do. He claimed that nobody had thought about the humanitarian crisis when the city first took the court case of right-to-shelter. Adams cited that last week the city had received 4,200 people, and they were averaging around 500 people a day. Adams also noted that the increasing number of illegal immigrants was not only wrong for those coming to the city but also for New Yorkers already in the city.
In conclusion, the city of New York is facing a humanitarian crisis due to the massive influx of illegal immigrants. Mayor Adams has requested that a judge reconsider the city’s sanctuary city law. Hotels have canceled pre-booked hotel rooms, and homeless veterans staying in multiple hotels have been told to leave immediately. The city has signed an emergency declaration to mitigate the risks and find room within their shelter system. According to the mayor, nobody had thought about the humanitarian crisis when the city first took the court case of right-to-shelter.
