New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the Texas border amid an influx of immigrants, calling on United States President Joe Biden for much-needed resources to address the growing issue.
The Democrat argued that the influx of people crossing the border could cost his city $2 billion and is asking for financial assistance from the federal government. On Sunday, Adams stood outside a Texas church while surrounded by a group of migrants.
Eric Adams Visits Southern Border
The New York City mayor told the crowd that he would continue to fight for their well-being so that they could work in the United States to allow them to experience the "American dream." The audience began to clap and cheer as Adams' words were translated into Spanish so he could be understood.
However, the lawmaker's positive message sharply contrasts his challenging goal for the trip to the southern border, which is to pressure the Biden administration to help his city. Adams' administration has been struggling to deal with an influx of migrants, as per the New York Times.
Adams is now showing compassion for the people whose lives have been upended while arguing that they must stop coming to his city. The situation in the southern border has become one of the mayor's greatest challenges in recent months.
There have been more than 36,000 migrants who arrived suddenly in New York City over the past year, which has strained the region's budget and its system meant for sheltering homeless people.
The New York City mayor, who has for weeks called for more assistance from the federal government, decided to make a personal trip to the border. It came one week after President Biden himself visited El Paso after announcing a new crackdown on immigrant crossings.
One immigrant, Venezuelan Kailey Marquez, said they heard talks that authorities in New York can help them more than other states in the US Marquez was among the crowd of people gathered outside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church shelter where Adams spoke, according to the New York Post.
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New York City's Migrant Problem
After touring the church, Adams and his Immigrant Affairs Commissioner, Manuel Castro, spoke to the asylum seekers. One immigrant told the mayor that he first heard about New York while they were watching television.
Marquez said that she was hoping that Adams' visit to the southern border would help them get ahead in life. She said that she gave birth in the U.S. to her child, who is now 20 days old, and added that her other children were aged six and 12.
Two other Venezuelans said they wanted to go to New York, one of whom noted that it was famous among migrants for being a sanctuary city. One migrant, Elvis Mendoza, said that he wanted to go to that sanctuary.
The visit came as a small western New York community was at risk of being overwhelmed due to the influx of migrants. Reports noted that there were at least 35 Colombian migrants who arrived in the city of Jamestown late last year, said Fox News.
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