New York City finds itself grappling with an ongoing and largely unnoticed crisis as over 2,500 asylum seekers pour into the city each week, Mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday. The staggering total number of arrivals since last spring has now surpassed 87,200, leaving the city overwhelmed and in urgent need of assistance.

To address the relentless influx of migrants, the mayor has opened two new mega shelters, bringing the total number of emergency sites across the five boroughs to 186.
Mayor Adams acknowledged that although the issue no longer dominates the front pages of daily tabloids, the situation remains dire. He stressed that the numbers continue to rise, placing a significant burden on the city.

In a plea for assistance, the mayor called on the state government in Albany to combat the “unsustainability” of the migrant crush, taking a subtle jab at Governor Kathy Hochul. Mayor Adams emphasized that New York City has always supported the state during times of disaster, pointing to the recent catastrophic floods that affected the Hudson Valley and beyond.
He expressed his frustration, stating, “When the storm hit upstate, they called New York City. New York City has always been here for the entire state. The storm of migrant asylum seekers has hit us for over a year now. We need help.”

Within a span of five months, the city had to create 83 new facilities to accommodate the influx, as the number of shelters rose from 103 in March to the current count of 186. The latest additions include the conversion of the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport hotel in Queens into a humanitarian relief facility capable of accommodating over 330 asylum-seeking families. Additionally, a short-term emergency site near Downtown Brooklyn will be transformed into a relief center to support approximately 1,400 adults in the coming weeks.

The cost of housing and providing meals for a migrant family in one of the city’s shelters is estimated to be around $385 per night, amounting to $140,535 per year. Based on these figures, the crisis is placing a daily burden of approximately $7.9 million on taxpayers.

City Hall figures indicate that there are currently more than 53,000 asylum seekers being sheltered in city-run sites. Mayor Adams emphasized that New York City is doing more than any other city or state to accommodate the influx of migrants and called on others to share the burden and provide support.

“We need help from the national government, we need help from the state government,” Mayor Adams urged, while acknowledging the assistance received from Governor Hochul. “We need everyone to be on board with this. And we are nowhere near a resolution. In fact, this is unsustainable.”

Despite the Biden administration’s report of a 70% decrease in illegal border crossings since the lifting of Title 42 in early May, the number of migrants under New York City’s care continues to rise.

Earlier on Tuesday, Governor Hochul reiterated the state’s commitment to supporting New York City, disclosing that Albany had allocated $1 billion to aid with shelters.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)