“Right to Shelter” Policy Does Not Apply to Migrants, Says Mayor Adams

On Wednesday, January 25th, Mayor Eric Adams announced that he does not believe that asylum-seeking migrants are protected under New York City’s “Right to Shelter” law. His stance on the issue came to light a few days before his administration opened the fifth migrant relief center. 

The topic was discussed on WABC’s “Sid & Friends” broadcast on Wednesday morning during an appearance Mayor Adams made on the show. When asked if Mayor Adams would consider removing New York City’s status as a sanctuary city for migrants, Adams said, “When we talk about a sanctuary city, that is codified in law. The courts ruled that this is a sanctuary city. We have a moral and legal obligation to fulfill that.”

One of the strongest sanctuary city laws in the United States, New York City’s “Right to Shelter” law requires that the government provide a roof to any given individual without a home. Mayor Adams has said that the current bill run by the migrants flooding New York City’s system is estimated to be $2 billion.

Over the past year, tens of thousands of migrants have entered New York City. The Adams Administration has dutifully attempted to handle the influx of people in the system but has publicly stated on multiple occasions that New York City needs help with the migrant crisis. 

Adams continued, “We don’t believe asylum seekers fall into the whole right-to-shelter conversation. This is a crisis that must be addressed based on what was created on this national platform.”

Mayor Adams and his administration have set up crisis centers, relief centers, and housing accommodations for more than 41,000 migrants since they began to flood the five boroughs last spring. While previously discussing the right-to-shelter law in September 2022, Adams stated that “the city’s application of the law must be reassessed because the city’s system is nearing it’s breaking point.”

Many New Yorkers who struggle with housing and currently are in the shelter system have claimed that the migrants have made conditions worse than they were previously. Some shelters have been converted from women and children to men to accomodate the influx of male migrants. Some have cited a lack of availability for the New York homeless community due to beds being occupied by migrants. 

Over the past year, Mayor Adams has called on the federal government to aid and assist cities, such as New York City. He has stated repeatedly that President Biden must act to prevent cities from being overrun by migrants. Adams called for better coordination at the border, even traveling down to El Paso, Texas to see the boarder situation first-hand in an attempt to come up with solutions for the problem.