Mayor Eric Adams believes the migrant crisis will destroy New York City, saying he sees no end in sight as the city has taken in more than 110,000 migrants since last year.
“I’ll tell you something, New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I couldn’t see an end to. I see no end to this. Adams said in an Upper West Side town hall Wednesday evening. “This problem will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.
During his opening speech, Hizzoner boasted of the accomplishments his administration has made in the 20 months since taking office, but they are all overshadowed by the massive influx of undocumented immigrants.
“Look point by point at what Eric Adams ran for and look at what we accomplished in 20 months, we transformed this city in 20 months and then what happened? asked Adams.
“It started with a madman in Texas who decided he wanted to bus people to New York,” referring to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who bussed illegal commuters to New York and d other liberal cities from April 2022.
The first busload of migrants from Texas arrived at the Midtown Port Authority on Aug. 5, 2022, with thousands more arriving in the rest of the five boroughs over the following months.
“We have to feed, clothe, house 110,000 migrants, educate the children, wash their sheets, give them everything they need, healthcare,” Adams said.
Texas has sent more than 13,000 migrants to New York, according to data shared by Abbott earlier this week.
“Month after month I stood up and said this would happen in a neighborhood near you. Well, here we are, we’re getting no support in the face of this national crisis, and we’re getting no support,” Adams remarked in an apparent sting at President Joe Biden.
The mayor said the Big Apple receives around 10,000 migrants a month, first from Venezuela, but then Ecuadorian nationals and Russian speakers arrived from Mexico over time.
“Now we have West Africa, now we have people from all over the world who have decided to cross over the southern border and come to New York,” Adams added.
The financial cost alone reverberated throughout the city, with the government spending millions to house the migrants.
The Department of Homelessness has given $35 million to two New York hotels to accommodate migrants.
“Everyone says it’s New York City’s problem. Every community in this city will be affected. We have a $12 billion deficit that we are going to have to reduce. Every service in this city will be affected, all of us,” Adams said.
A large majority of New Yorkers share the mayor’s sentiments on the crisis: 82% say it’s a serious problem for the city while 58% want to stop the flow from the southern border, according to a recent Sienna College survey.
“We are all going to be affected by this. I said it last year when we had 15,000 and I’m telling you now with 110,000. the city we once knew, we’re about to lose it, and we’re all in this together, all of us,” he concluded.
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