The latest signs of the crisis facing New York are the huge white tents that the city’s mayor says he never imagined he would have to build.
The arrival of buses from the border shows no signs of slowing down and these new emergency shelters on Randall’s Island could soon house hundreds of migrants.
Months have passed since Texas Governor Greg Abbott began transporting immigrants to New York. And it’s been just over a week since Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency, warning that the growing number of new arrivals was overwhelming homeless shelters, straining resources and could end up costing the city $1,000 millions.
In a place that has long prided itself on its history as a home for immigrants, the sudden arrival of buses full of asylum seekers has forced officials to consider those ideals in real time.
Abbott argues that he has exposed the hypocrisy of liberal leaders who buckle under pressure that is a fraction of what border states face on a daily basis. Adams says his city has risen to the occasion and that New York remains committed to helping the many immigrants arriving who have been caught up in the cruelty of a man-made crisis. But to do that, he says, the city needs, and deserves, more help from state and federal officials.
“This is unsustainable,” Adams said as he announced the state of emergency. “The city will run out of funds for other priorities.” It’s a fast-moving situation in America’s largest city at a politically volatile time, with midterm elections looming.