New York City mayor to visit border, seeks emergency aid for influx of asylum-seekers

After New York City received over 3,100 asylum-seekers in the last week, including a record number 835 last Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams called on the state to provide more resources to deal with the ongoing issue.

Adams is scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, his office announced Friday evening. Further details about the trip would be revealed later, according to the mayor’s office.

The mayor said in a statement the city is “at the breaking point,” and may not be able to handle more people coming.

“The absence of sorely needed federal immigration reform should not mean that this humanitarian crisis falls only on the shoulders of cities,” he said.

Since the spring, New York City has accepted 40,000 asylum-seekers, and opened 74 emergency shelters and four humanitarian relief centers.

Adams sent a mutual aid request to New York state asking to support additional sheltering.

“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,” he said in a statement.

Representatives from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless released a joint statement reiterating that the city is legally required to provide a bed to anyone in need of shelter.

“Regardless of the circumstances, these are obligations that no mayor can shirk,” the statement said. “That said, Washington and Albany have so far provided only minimal financial assistance for the City to meet this moment, and all levels of government must do their part to ensure that legal obligations are met and all people in need, including asylum seekers, are provided access to safe, decent, and accessible shelter.”

Last week, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced he would stop bussing asylum-seekers to New York City and Chicago following conversations with Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.