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Edited by: TJVNews.com
In response to the escalating crisis involving a surge of illegal immigrants in New York City, the White House is taking action by sending Tom Perez, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, to meet with Mayor Eric Adams, the Post reported on Thursday. This significant meeting comes at a critical juncture, following Mayor Adams’ recent announcement that the projected cost of housing and providing social services for asylum seekers could reach a staggering $12 billion, the Post report noted. The meeting is set to take place at City Hall and aims to address the pressing challenges posed by this situation.
The dire circumstances surrounding the influx of migrants who have illegally crossed the southern border of the United States has led to a state of urgency in New York City. As was reported by the Post, Mayor Adams has been vocal about the city’s struggles, revealing that an additional 60,000 asylum seekers could join the roughly 100,000 who have already arrived in the five boroughs. Adams delivered a somber address from City Hall’s historic rotunda, highlighting the city’s breaking point and stressing the need for resources and support from state and federal levels, the Post report said.
“We are past our breaking point,” Adams said, according to the Post report. “New Yorkers’ compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not. And our partners at the state and federal levels know this.”
Adams’ address at City Hall followed days of newspaper photographs and accounts of the dire circumstances outside the migrant processing center and shelter opened inside of the Roosevelt Hotel, where dozens were forced to sleep on the streets because the shelter system ran out of space, as was reported by the Post.
Speaking to CNN on late Wednesday night, Mayor Adams said that he could not guarantee that it would not happen again, the Post report said.
“We received over 90,000 people in our city, and I’ve been stating for some time that we need relief,” the mayor said. “We need help. This is a national crisis and it should be handled by national resources and national policies.”
The expected meeting between Mayor Adams and Tom Perez is a continuation of ongoing efforts to find viable solutions to this out of control migrant crisis. As was reported by the Post, Adams has previously engaged with Perez during his trip to Washington, D.C., where he pressed for federal funds to aid the city’s financial burden and for the issuance of expedited work permits for recent migrant arrivals. The outcome of that visit yielded a promise from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide a liaison to improve coordination between federal agencies and City Hall, according to the Post report. However, this offer was met with skepticism and criticism from various local elected officials.
The significant uptick in the number of illegal immigrant arrivals has stretched New York City’s shelter system to double its usual capacity within a year, prompting concerns about the system’s ability to cope with the strain, the Post report noted.
Mayor Adams’ administration has taken legal action to potentially downsize the city’s “Right to Shelter” program, a series of legal settlements ensuring access to beds and services for those in need, the report added. Many of the migrants arriving in New York City are fleeing violence, dictatorships, and economic turmoil in regions such as South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and even Africa.
The financial toll of accommodating the asylum seekers is significant, with daily operational costs amounting to $9.8 million, equivalent to $3.6 billion annually. However, The Post report stated that the numbers continue to rise, prompting concerns that the annual tab could increase further. Mayor Adams has expressed fears that by June 2025, as many as 100,000 migrants could be living in city facilities, potentially driving the annual cost to a staggering $6.1 billion.
The meeting between Mayor Adams and Tom Perez is a pivotal step towards addressing the crisis and seeking viable solutions that balance the humanitarian needs of the illegal immigrants with the resources and capabilities of the city and its partners. As the situation continues to evolve, the collaboration between local, state, and federal entities will play a crucial role in determining the future course of action.
