NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday called for the federal government to send additional resources “immediately” as New York City sees a “sharp increase” in asylum seekers.
More than 2,800 people have entered the city’s shelter system from South America, Centra America and other regions over the last several weeks, according to the mayor’s office.
Adams said the city is working with the federal government to make sure the asylum seekers get the proper resources and support they need.
In a statement Tuesday, the mayor said New York has always welcomed newcomers “with open arms” and that the city has “a moral—and legal—obligation to house anyone who is experiencing homelessness for any reason.”
“Currently, New York City is experiencing a marked increase in the number of asylum seekers who are arriving from Latin America and other regions,” Adams said.
“In some instances, families are arriving on buses sent by the Texas and Arizona governments, while in other cases, it appears that individuals are being sent by the federal government,” the mayor continued.
The city requires additional federal resources “immediately” to provide resources for the asylum seekers, Adams said, warning the aid is “urgently” needed as the city experiences “a rapidly growing shelter population.”
A spike in border crossings has become a political flashpoint for President Joe Biden, with Republicans saying he’s not doing enough to stop them.
However, the Biden administration has maintained Donald Trump’s policy of denying migrants a chance to seek asylum on grounds of preventing spread of COVID-19, and a federal judge’s order has kept the pandemic-related authority known as Title 42 authority in place after it was due to expire in May.
The U.S. grants some exemptions to Title 42, but the rule has been unevenly enforced by nationality, with single adults and families from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador most affected.
* Article from: audacy.com
