Mayor Eric Adams called on the state to provide more resources to deal with the ongoing issue after New York City received over 3,100 asylum-seekers in the last week, including a record number 835 last Thursday.
Adams’ office announced Friday evening that he is scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, on Saturday. The mayor’s office said that more details about the trip would be revealed later.
“The city is at the breaking point,” the mayor said in a statement, “and may not be able to handle more people coming.”
He said that the absence of sorely needed federal immigration reform should not mean that this humanitarian crisis falls only on the shoulders of cities.
New York City has accepted 40,000 asylum-seekers and opened 74 emergency shelters and four humanitarian relief centers since the spring.
Adams sent a request for mutual aid to New York state asking for additional support for sheltering.
He said in a statement, “Our initial request is for shelter to accommodate 500 asylum seekers, but, as New York City continues to see numbers balloon, this estimate will increase as well.”
Andrew Cuomo’s office
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s representatives Requests for comment to Kathy Hochul’s office went unanswered.
A joint statement from The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless reiterated that the city is legally required to provide a bed to anyone in need of shelter.
“These are obligations that no mayor can shirk, regardless of the circumstances,” the statement said. Although Washington and Albany have only provided minimal financial assistance for the City, all levels of government must ensure that legal obligations are met and all people in need have access to safe, decent, and accessible shelter.
Jared Polis said that some businesses could reopen on Friday
On Friday, some businesses in Colorado will be allowed to reopen, as announced by Governor Jared Polis last week. Jared Polis announced he would stop bussing asylum-seekers to New York City and Chicago following conversations with Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
