‘I want to see the federal government fix a federal problem,’ said Mayor Eric Adams.
Facing an influx of illegal immigrants, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he’d be happy to share ideas on the crisis with President-elect Donald Trump.
At a Nov. 6 press conference, Adams said New York now hosts 220,000 illegal immigrants and has received negligible support from the federal government.
“I want to see the federal government fix a federal problem. This is a federal problem,” Adams said when asked what help he would like to see.
It is estimated that feeding and housing the illegal immigrants for three years will cost the city $10 billion. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has allocated $2.4 billion for this year.
Adams said he planned to call Trump but had not done so because the president-elect is likely flooded with calls at the moment.
He said that if the new president would be willing to listen, he would happily share his ideas and experiences.
Adams has voiced disappointment with being unable to deport illegal immigrants who are repeat offenders after a number of violent criminals landed back on the streets after arrest.
The mayor has also been critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the border. According to Adams, his administration took 10 trips to Washington to negotiate a solution. Plans for a statewide “decompression plan” to involve more counties in helping the immigrants are also underway.
Though Trump’s platform promised to secure the border and deport illegal immigrants, New York’s sanctuary city laws would make it harder for the Trump administration to detain illegal immigrants there. The laws prevent police from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in many cases, and protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
At the press conference, the Adams administration reaffirmed its commitment to sanctuary laws.
Commissioner Manuel Castro, head of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said: “As a sanctuary city, we intend to follow the law. And we expect that all our city agencies follow our sanctuary laws. … And we will continue to be a sanctuary city, and protect our immigrant communities.”
