Migrants will destroy New York, mayor says

Two years ago, the Democratic leader promised asylum to migrants, criticising the conservative-led southern states for their restrictive immigration policies. Now he's burying his own city.

WORLD POLITICS SEPTEMBER 10. 2023 13:34

Stressing that he sees no end in sight to the raging migrant crisis, New York Mayor Eric Adams warned that the continuing influx of illegal migrats is destroying New York. The Democratic mayor is now calling on migrants to stay away, after the metropolis has seen the arrival of more than 110,000 migrants since last spring, with the number of migrants seeking shelter and livelihood in the city approaching 60,000.

We have 10,000 migrants arriving every month, Adams said at a town hall meeting on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, warning that public services are saturated and the crisis shows no signs of abating. Adams also noted that in his career, he’s never witnessed a crisis that he didn’t see coming, until now.

„We have a $12-billion budget deficit that we urgently need to reduce. Every city service will be affected, everyone will be affected, even your neighborhood. I said it last year when there were 15,000. I say it again now, at 110,000, we will lose the city we have known,” Adams said.

Interestingly, two years ago Adams did not see a problem with mass illegal immigration and, at one point, he promised on social media that under his administration New York would remain a haven for migrants chasing the American dream. At the time, he was sharply critical of conservative-led southern US states, such as Texas, for adopting restrictive immigration policies.

In recent months, however, Adams has changed his mind decisively. In July, the Democratic mayor announced that he would distribute leaflets at the US-Mexico border to dissuade migrants from travelling to the empire city, explaining that food and transport are expensive in New York and that there is no guarantee that new arrivals will have access to housing and social services.

WORLD POLITICS

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crisis, migrants, new york