New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Sunday called for federal assistance as the city takes in migrants bussed north by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
“@GregAbbott_TX used innocent people as political pawns to manufacture a crisis,” Adams tweeted Sunday.
“New Yorkers are stepping up to fix it — that’s our city’s values,” he added. “But we need the federal government’s help — money, technical assistance and more.”
Abbott says he is bussing migrants to New York City and Washington, DC in protest of President Biden’s immigration policies as border encounters reach record levels.
The first bus destined for The Big Apple arrived on Friday. Adams’s office blasted Abbott upon the bus’s arrival.
Adams reportedly traveled to the Port Authority bus terminal on Sunday to greet an arriving bus.
“This is horrific, when you think about what the governor is doing,” Adams said at the terminal, Politico reported.
The outlet reported that Adams said some of the families wanted to go to other locations but were forced on the bus.
“Our goal is to immediately find out each family’s needs and give them the assistance they want,” Adams said, according to Politico.
Abbott said in a statement on Friday that New York City, along with Washington, DC, was “the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city.”
“I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief,” Abbott continued.
DC Major Muriel Bowser (D) in mid-July requested the National Guard’s help as her city also received bussed migrants.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin turned down Bowser’s request, with a defense official saying Austin determined deploying the guard would “negatively impact the readiness” of the force.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment on Adams’ latest request for federal assistance.
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