More migrants from Texas border arrive in NYC, Mayor Adams slams Gov. Abbott again: ‘It is unimaginable’ what he’s done.
“When you think about this country — a country that has always been open to those who are fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions — we’ve always welcomed that,” he continued. “This governor is not doing that in Texas, but we are going to send the right message, the right tone, of being here for these families.”
Taxis took the 14 migrants to their next destinations free of charge, CBS New York reported.
Under New York State law, the city must provide housing for any adult who arrives by 10 p.m. with kids at a homeless shelter the day of their arrival.
New York City saw its first bus of migrants sent by Abbott on Friday morning. A charter bus brought about 50 people to the Port Authority Bus Terminal after a roughly two-day journey from the Lone Star State.
“The journey by bus, it was tough,” one of the new arrivals, 40-year-old Alfonso Ruiz, told the Daily News on Friday. “Stopping and shouting and stopping almost all day.”
In the spring, Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who’s also Republican, announced plans to send buses of migrants to Washington, D.C. They were protesting President Biden’s move to lift restrictions on seeking asylum that were imposed near the start of the COVID pandemic. The rule remains in effect, under a court order.
Adams has been calling for federal funding to help handle the new migrants. On Sunday, he said Texas should coordinate its plans with New York .
“In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city,” Abbott stated Friday. “I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief.”
Last week, the mayor turned down an invitation from Abbott to see the state’s southern border first-hand.
“Instead of a photo-op at the border, we hope Gov. Abbott will focus his energy and resources on providing support and resources to asylum seekers in Texas as we have been hard at work doing in New York City,” Adams spokesman Fabien Levy said at the time.
Washington, D.C. has received more than 6,100 migrants from Texas, according to Abbott’s office.
But the Pentagon on Friday rejected a request from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for the National Guard to provide assistance for what she called a “growing humanitarian crisis.”