New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed that sanctuary city laws and policies have limited his ability to address the migrant crisis overburdening the city’s welfare system.
With migrants continuing to enter and take advantage of services, Adams warned resources are not endless and the problem cannot solely be New York’s.
“We’re not just saying we’re out of room as a soundbite. We’re out of room, literally. People are going to be eventually sleeping on the streets,” Adams said.
While sympathetic to immigrants, Adams said the situation is unfair to city residents.
When asked what actions he can take, Adams cited restrictions from not being able to notify ICE, deport, or stop migrant flows.
“The law states that we cannot notify [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. I cannot break the law and enforce the law. I can’t deport. I can’t stop people from coming in, repeated criminal behavior, I can’t report to ICE for deportation. So, there’s certain things I can’t do,” Adams said.
A lawsuit was also filed against Adams for not expanding housing vouchers for homeless immigrants as required under a new law, with the mayor claiming the city cannot afford associated reforms.
“Our hearts are endless, but our resources are not,” he said. “It’s not like New York is not saying we are not a city of immigrants. We are. We have a rich history of immigrants, but we can’t take the global problem and it become our problem. That is unfair to New Yorkers, and is unfair to migrants.”
“The Adams administration’s refusal to implement the law is unacceptable, and the City must take immediate action to ensure that the thousands of New Yorkers who are experiencing or are on the brink of homelessness and who are now eligible for CityFHEPS can secure safe, long-term and affordable housing,” Legal Aid attorney Robert Desir said.
In short, Adams feels hamstrung by laws and policies around addressing the migrant situation.
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