The influx of asylum seekers from South and Central America to the Port Authority comes as Mayor Eric Adams went on a morning talk show blitz, boasting that no one could have been as prepared for this crisis as his administration.
“We’ve had an ongoing show of humanitarian assistance as asylum seekers have arrived here, and I’m really proud of the response of the interplay of all of our many agencies,” Adams told WCBS 880 in a phone interview.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is sending busloads of immigrants 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 immigrants to border towns in the Lone Star State.
New York’s already strained shelter system has been called upon to accommodate the newcomers, who have arrived in a steady stream seeking help.
Newcomers were met by volunteers from the mayor’s office and briefed on some documents.Georgett Roberts
On Friday, a busload of 89 men, women and children from Texas were met at the Port Authority by bilingual legal advisers from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, who helped them through paperwork at a table filled with Dunkin’ Donuts sodas.
There were also nurses on hand who tested the group for COVID, as well as taking their blood pressure and temperature.
Manuel Castro, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs, told The Post that some people arrived without their medication, including children who were given insulin. Others suffered from stomach problems and needed medical attention.
Mayor Adams boasted that his administration was as prepared as it could be for the influx of asylum seekers being sent from Texas. FOX 5 NY
After receiving clothes and boxes of takeaway food, they were escorted to the busy transport hub and ushered into cabs or carpool cars. Some looked confused and unsure where they were headed.
Castro shed some light on the condition of the people getting off the buses – among them very 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 guys are excited to finally be here,” Castro said.
According to the commissioner, some of the immigrants planned to head to Chicago and Miami and were concerned they might miss immigration court appearances and face deportation after being transported to New York, thousands of miles from their final destinations.
The commissioner also revealed that one of the new arrivals – a man in his 30s – was very ill and required hospitalisation,
“We isolated this person because it could be COVID-19,” he said, adding that several of the migrants have tested positive for the disease and that the shelters where they will be staying will be notified of their diagnosis so they can quarantine them.
The head of immigration affairs said they have lawyers and volunteers who answer basic questions from immigrants, but more comprehensive legal assistance will be offered when a service center opens in the future.
When asked if the immigrants had been forced by Texas officials to board the buses to New York, Castro said the mayor’s administration was trying to determine that.
Protesters accuse Mayor Eric Adams of doing a “photo op” with immigrants at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
He said he has heard immigrants talk about the documents they signed in Texas, which may have included legal waivers, but that has not been confirmed.
“We are asking the federal government to look carefully at this situation,” he said. “Government Abbott must be held accountable if this is the case, and we hope the people of Texas will hold Governor Abbott accountable for his actions.
“He has shown that he is someone not to be trusted. He has fueled anti-immigrant hatred and is distracting from the fact that he is failing as a 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.
An immigrant family is driven off the bus. YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the mayor spoke about his government’s response to the immigration crisis.
“We have sheltered almost 5,000 people,” he told WCBS. “The city has done an amazing job and the people who work in the agencies that have to do that.”
When asked about reports that 600 asylum seekers were being housed in a Midtown shelter, in violation of a state law limiting shelters to 200 beds, Adams said he was not aware of that.
“I will look into it if that happens,” he said. “We will always follow the law. And if there are mistakes, we will always take corrective action because our goal is to ensure that we are using the appropriate humanitarian response to this crisis that we are facing.”
Adams also disputed The Post’s exclusive report that immigrants were getting preferential treatment at city shelters compared to homeless locals, leaving some of them fuming.
The Post reported this week that asylum seekers from Texas were given new backpacks and gift cards from Catholic Charities, which at least four of them had redeemed to travel to D.C. after failing to find free beds in a Manhattan shelter, a source said. .
“That’s not true. Everyone is treated with the level of dignity they deserve,” Adams said of the allegations of preferential treatment during an interview on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”
About 89 immigrants arrived at the Port Authority bus terminal. Georgette Roberts
Adams also used his bully pulpit to bash Abbott and accused the Republican governor of being “un-American.”
“He doesn’t represent what I think a governor should be or what any American should be,” Adams argued.
“This is a country where the Statue of Liberty sits in New York Harbor. We will always welcome migrants 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 out of 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.
