New York City Mayor Eric Adams has called on President Joe Biden to have the Southern borders closed to asylum-seeking migrants. Mayor Adams said migrants should stay in Mexico while their asylum applications are being reviewed. As mayor of one of the most desired destinations for asylum-seeking migrants, Mayor Adams has been grappling with an enormous challenge regarding their arrival in New York City. He has repeatedly called on financial assistance from the state and federal governments. Previously, Mayor Adams claimed that New York City would need $1 billion, but that figure has recently increased to $2 billion.
Mayor Adams’ Solutions
In his effort to find solutions to fix the crisis, Mayor Adams traveled to El Paso. The trip inspired the op-ed he wrote for the Washington Post. Published on January 18th, the op-ed gives his perspective and provides six solutions to the problem. Number one was the deployment of a government official that would solely focus on managing the movement of migrants into the U.S. According to Mayor Adams, the chosen official should manage all aspects of the border, working with the relevant government departments. This is despite the fact that President Biden named Vice President Kamala Harris as his border czar. He insinuated enough was not being done by the White House to solve the problem.
Mayor Adams suggested that a decompression strategy be worked out. This strategy would see asylum-seeking migrants getting asylum and placement somewhere in the U.S. before they arrived in the country. Mayor Adams suggested that migrants be fairly spread out across the country. He also called for FEMA to have a fund that specifically caters to asylum seekers.
Mayor Adams called for a clear path to receiving citizenship or residency for those asylum-seeking migrants who had entered the country legally. These migrants should also have an “expedited right to work.”
Lastly, Mayor Adams called on the leadership to unite community stakeholders such as nonprofit organizations, the faith-based community, and the private sector to assist the migrants.
Final Remarks
“Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country. Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending,” Mayor Adams wrote.
“Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose,” he wrote.
