Two busloads of migrants sent from Texas arrived in Midtown Friday morning, while others made it out of the Big Apple after failing to secure beds in overcrowded local shelters.
The influx of South and Central American asylum seekers to the port authority comes as Mayor Eric Adams took to a morning talk show to boast that no one was as prepared for this crisis as his administration.
“We’ve had a steady stream of humanitarian aid since the asylum seekers have arrived here, and I’m really proud of the collaborative response of all of our multi-agency,” Adams said in a telephone interview with WCBS 880.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is sending busloads of migrants to Democratic-majority cities like New York and Washington after blaming blue states and President Biden for lax immigration policies that are drawing thousands of migrants to the Lone Star State’s border towns.
New York’s already strained shelter system was called upon to house the newcomers who arrived in a steady stream seeking help.
The new arrivals were welcomed by volunteers of the town hall and they were introduced to some documents. Georgette Roberts
On Friday, 89 men, women and children bussed in from Texas were met at the Port Authority by bilingual legal advisers from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, who helped them go through paperwork at a table laden with Dunkin’ Donuts refreshments.
There were also nurses doing COVID tests on the group as well as taking their blood pressure and temperature.
Manuel Castro, commissioner of the mayor’s office for immigrant affairs, told The Post that some people arrived without their medication, including children who had been given insulin. Others suffered from stomach problems and needed medical attention.
Mayor Adams boasted that his administration was as prepared as possible for the influx of asylum seekers sent from Texas. FOX 5 NY
After receiving clothes and takeout boxes, they were escorted to the busy transportation hub and ushered into taxis or shared cars. Some looked confused and unsure of where they were headed.
Castro shed some light on the condition of the people getting off the buses – among them many young children – describing them as “exhausted”, “disoriented” and very hungry and thirsty from the long journey.
He said he spoke to a family who came from Venezuela with their four children.
“You can imagine what they’ve been through, but the kids are excited to finally be here,” Castro said.
According to the commissioner, some of the migrants planned to head to Chicago and Miami and were concerned they might miss immigration court appearances and face deportation after being brought to New York, thousands of miles from their final destination. .
The commissioner also revealed that one of the new arrivals – a man in his 30s – is very ill and needs hospitalisation,
“We have isolated this person because it could be COVID-19,” he said, adding that several of the migrants had tested positive for the disease and that shelters where they would be staying would be notified of their diagnosis so they could be placed under quarantine.
The head of migrant affairs said they have lawyers and volunteers to answer basic migrant questions, but more comprehensive legal assistance will be offered when a service center opens in the future.
Asked if the migrants were forced by Texas officials to get on the New York-bound buses, Castro said the mayor’s administration was trying to determine that.
Protesters accuse Mayor Eric Adams of taking a “photograph” with migrants at the Port Authority bus terminal. YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
He said he has heard migrants talk about the documents they signed in Texas that may include legal waivers, but that has not been confirmed.
“We are asking the federal government to look into this situation carefully,” he said. “Gov. If this is the case, Abbott must be held accountable and we hope the people of Texas will hold Governor Abbott accountable for his actions.
“He has shown that he is not to be trusted. He has fermented anti-immigrant hatred and is distracting from the fact that he is failing as governor and failing his people and using immigrants and asylum seekers as his political pawns.
Castro reiterated that New York is “proud to be a sanctuary city” that welcomes all immigrants and asylum seekers.
A migrant family is taken off the bus. YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the mayor highlighted his administration’s response to the migrant crisis.
“We made sure to provide shelter for close to 5,000 people,” he told WCBS. “The city has done an amazing job and the people who are employed in the agencies that have to carry this out.”
Asked about reports that 600 asylum seekers were housed in one Midtown shelter, in violation of a state law limiting shelters to 200 beds, Adams said he was not aware of that.
“I’ll look into it if that happens,” he said. “We will always abide by the law. And if there are any missteps, we will always take corrective action because our goal is to make sure that we are deploying an appropriate humanitarian response to this crisis that we are facing.”
Adams also disputed The Post’s exclusive reporting that migrants were getting preferential treatment in city shelters compared to homeless locals, prompting grumbling from some.
The Post reported this week that asylum seekers coming from Texas received new backpacks and gift cards from Catholic Charities, which at least four of them redeemed to travel to D.C. after failing to find free beds at a shelter in Manhattan, a source said.
“That’s not true. Everyone is treated with the level of dignity they deserve,” Adams said of the claims of preferential treatment during an interview on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”
Approximately 89 migrants arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Georgette Roberts
Adams also used his gruff pulpit to bash Abbott and accused the Republican governor of being “un-American.”
“He is not representative of what I think a governor should be, or what every American should be,” Adams argued.
“This is a country where the Statue of Liberty sits in New York Harbor. We will always welcome immigrants and we have shown and demonstrated to the whole world our humanitarian response to crises.
Adams also criticized the Texas governor for putting people on buses for a 45-hour trip across the country “under false promises,” often without food or medicine, without coordinating the trip with New York, state officials or the federal government.
“And it’s unfortunate that he chose to carry out this humanitarian crisis in this way,” the mayor added.
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