New York City mayor to visit border, seeks emergency aid for influx of asylum-seekers
After New York City accepted more than 3,100 asylum seekers in the past week, including a record 835 last Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams called on the state to provide more resources to deal with the ongoing case.
Adams is scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, his office announced Friday evening. Further details about the trip will be revealed later, according to the city’s office.
The mayor said in a statement that the city is “at breaking point” and may not be able to handle more people coming.
“The lack of needed federal immigration reform should not mean that this humanitarian crisis falls solely on the shoulders of cities,” he said.
PHOTO: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a security briefing ahead of New Year’s Eve on Dec. 30, 2022 in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/WireImage/Getty Images)
Since spring, New York City has accepted 40,000 asylum seekers and opened 74 emergency shelters and four humanitarian aid centers.
Adams submitted a mutual aid application to New York State requesting additional housing support.
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“Our initial request is for housing to accommodate 500 asylum seekers, but as New York City continues to see numbers balloon, that estimate will also increase,” he said in a statement.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement Saturday pledging support.
“I was in touch with Mayor Adams this morning. This is a heartbreaking issue for us to see, these individuals who traveled so far, under such difficult circumstances, just in pursuit of the American dream. And I told the mayor. we will continue to help him, we have helped him for many months and we will continue to give him support,” the statement said.
PHOTO: Immigrants arriving from Del Rio, Texas, get off a bus at the Port Authority in Manhattan, December 19, 2022. (Josephine Stratman/New York Daily News/Getty Images)
The Legal Aid Society and the Homeless Coalition released a joint statement reiterating that the city is legally required to provide a bed for anyone in need of shelter.
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“Regardless of the circumstances, these are obligations that no mayor can avoid”, the statement says. “That said, Washington and Albany have so far provided only minimal financial assistance to the city to meet this milestone, and all levels of government must do their part to ensure that legal obligations are met and all people in need are met. , including asylum seekers, are provided access to safe, decent and accessible shelter.”
Last week, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced he would stop busing asylum seekers to New York City and Chicago after talks with Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
New York City mayor to visit border, urges urgent help for asylum seeker influx appeared first on abcnews.go.com
