New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Friday declared a state of emergency over the surge of illegal immigrants that have been bused and to the city in recent weeks.
“This is a humanitarian crisis that started with violence and instability in South America and is being accelerated by American political dynamics,” Adams said in a news conference on Friday. “Thousands of asylum seekers have been bused into New York City and simply dropped off, without notice, coordination, or care—and more are arriving every day.”
The office of Adams, a Democrat, estimated (pdf) that some 17,000 illegal aliens have been transported to his city in recent months. The Republican governors of several border states and Democrat city officials in El Paso, Texas, have sent illegal immigrants to New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
“This crisis is not of our own making but one that will affect everyone in this city, now and in the months ahead,” Adams said, without making note of the Biden administration’s border policies. “New Yorkers deserve to know why this is happening and what we plan to do.”
Adams’ Emergency Order No. 224 (pdf) noted that the “state of Texas, and the city of El Paso, have pledged to continue sending asylum seekers on buses to New York City.” Reports have indicated that El Paso, which has a Democrat mayor and is located just north of the violence-plagued Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, has sent even more illegal immigrants to New York than Texas.
“Texas has not provided notice to New York City, and has indicated that it will continue not providing notice to New York City, regarding how many busloads of people will be arriving, or the dates and times of their arrival,” the order said, adding that “many of the buses arrive at the Port Authority Bus Terminal unannounced and unscheduled, in the early morning or late night hours.”
