New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency Friday over the influx of migrants into the Big Apple and estimated it will cost $1 billion to provide them with shelter space and social services.
Hizzoner made the announcements in a speech at City Hall in which he declared that the influx of migrants from south of the border had stretched the city’s social-safety net to its breaking point and pushed its shelter population to an all-time high.
“We are in a crisis situation,” Adams said. “This is a humanitarian crisis that started with violence and instability in South America, and it’s being accelerated by American political dynamics.
“This crisis is not of our own making, but one that will affect everyone in this city now and in the months ahead.”
City officials have struggled for weeks to find space for the incoming thousands, most of whom are Venezuelans seeking asylum from that country’s brutal dictatorship and economic collapse.
Adams rattled off statistics to bolster his dire warnings:
– More than 61,000 people are now in city shelters, a near-record that officials say they will shortly exceed.
– Officials are renting rooms in more than 40 hotels across the city to try and keep up with the influx.
– Arriving families have enrolled 5,500 new students in New York City’s public schools, a jump from the previous tally of 3,200.
The mayor said he would visit the tent city his administration is building on Randall’s Island to provide temporary housing for the arrivals.
Officials hope the temporary facility will provide a much-needed buffer for the straining shelter system by providing 500 cots and referral services for incoming migrants before they are placed into the system.
“This is unsustainable,” Adams said of the situation. “New York City is doing all we can, but we are reaching the outer limit of our ability to help.”
The mayor called on Congress to pass legislation to shorten the mandatory waiting period for work papers for the migrants. The wait period is currently six months, a requirement that essentially forces the arrivals into the city’s shelter system and social-safety net for an extended period of time.
He also called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to provide financial aid and staffing support and to free up state-controlled sites to provide housing.
“We need help from the federal government, we need help from the state of New York,” he said.
There’s little chance of Hizzoner getting his wish for reforms from Washington.
Virtually any attempt at reforming or liberalizing the country’s immigration laws has stalled in recent years due to fierce disputes over the topic on Capitol Hill.
Adams said Friday that New York had rented rooms in more than 40 hotels across the city to provide emergency shelter space and that he would visit the tent city his administration is building on Randall’s Island to provide temporary housing for the arrivals.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism