New York City Mayor Eric Adams has used taxpayer funds to send immigrants to states like Texas and Florida, and even as far as South America and China, despite trashing Republican governors for sending them to the Big Apple.
Adams, a Democrat, spent nearly $50,000 of city money to send 114 immigrant families to other parts of the world as the city was overwhelmed by thousands of asylum seekers.
At least 42 families were sent to Florida (28) and Texas (14), others to nearby New Jersey and a few to Colombia and one to China.
The mayor previously slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for what he called a ‘political stunt’ in busing migrants to New York and other Northeast locales.
‘It was part of a political conspiracy and that’s what we need to understand,’ Adams said on CNN at the time.
‘I mean, what was his purpose in sending a planeload to Martha’s Vineyard? He just felt like he wanted to get into this horrible act,’ he added at a news conference, according to ABC News.
Abbott sent about 9,700 asylum seekers to New York City, according to Politico. DeSantis took about 85 immigrants to Massachusetts and California.
Kate Smart, the mayor’s spokeswoman, oddly tried to contrast the city’s efforts with Florida and Texas.
“New York City, as we’ve discussed very publicly over the past several months, has worked to connect individuals with friends, family and networks in or outside of New York City,” Smart said in a statement.
‘We’re not forcing people to leave, we’re not suggesting or recommending locations and we’re not presenting any sort of false choice. We are helping people who want to reconnect with loved ones or communities.’
The city says 78,700 immigrants have arrived in New York since last spring, and 48,700 of them are still under the city’s assistance system.
Adams, who has called the immigration crisis a ‘disaster’, has opened 174 emergency shelters and reception centers.
The city will spend $4.3 billion to try and slow down the crisis.
The city says 78,700 immigrants have arrived in New York since last spring, and 48,700 of them are still under the city’s assistance system.
The mayor has previously slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) for what he called a ‘political stunt’ to move migrants to New York and other northeastern locales.
‘I mean, what was his purpose in sending a planeload to Martha’s Vineyard? He just felt like he wanted to get into this horrible act,’ Adams said of DeSantis at a news conference.
Earlier this year, Adams visited the US-Mexico border and called the situation “a disaster” that needed to be addressed at the federal level.
The visit comes after governors from Republican-led states like Florida and Texas began busing and flying immigrants to New York City in 2022.
In late May, Adams called for emigrants to be sent to every major city in America.
Adams reopened many of the city’s closed hotels and turned them into migrant shelters in late 2022 and early 2023 to deal with the influx of asylum seekers.
However, on CBS’ Face the Nation, Adams told host Margaret Brennan that it was ‘not a burden on one city’ and proposed a shared solution.
‘We have 108,000 towns, villages, cities,’ he said.
‘If everybody takes a small part of it, and if there’s coordination at the border to make sure that people who are coming into this country legally are moved across the country, then it’s not a city’s burden.’
Adams suggested placing immigrants in ‘private accommodation’ to deal with the influx of economic dependent seekers to the Big Apple.
Adams reopened many of the city’s closed hotels and turned them into migrant shelters in late 2022 and early 2023 to deal with an influx of asylum seekers.
Earlier this year, Adams visited the US-Mexico border and called the situation “a disaster” that needed to be addressed at the federal level.
The statement came as Adams announced a partnership with New York synagogues to provide housing for immigrants across the city.
‘My vision is to take the next step in this faith-based locale and then move into a private residence … they have spare rooms,’ Adams said Monday afternoon.
Adams said when the church-based program is fully operational, they hope to be able to host 1,000 asylum seekers at a time.
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