Instead of Complaining, Provide Alternative Migrant Policies and Visit D.C., Mayor Tells Protesting Council Members

By Yehudit Garmaise

“I hear a lot of people tell us what we shouldn’t do on things on which we have shown a great level of success, but no one says what we should do,” said Mayor Eric Adams about the city council members who protested on Thursday outside his office.

In recent months, Mayor Eric Adams announced that single migrant men and migrant families with children must leave NYC shelters within 30 and 60 days, respectively, amidst decreasing temperatures.

Just last week 3,800 new migrants arrived in New York City. Many elected officials are worried that with new migrants coming in every day, the ones who already arrived might be left to sleep on the streets.

“If [critics] say, ‘Eric, don’t do the 30 day-rule, don’t do the 60-day rule,’ then those same elected officials need to give me some alternatives,” the mayor said this morning at his weekly press conference at City Hall. 

Calling for accountability and action on the part of the complainers, the mayor said, “There should be a roll call of every elected official who is critiquing what we are doing, and the question needs to be asked, ‘Have you been to D.C. to share that this [influx of migrants] should not be happening to us. 

“This [migrant crisis] is impacting your constituencies,” the mayor pointed out to city council members.

“But if you ask any of these city council members whether they have gone to Washington, I guarantee you 95% of them will tell you, ‘No.’”

In response, one reporter doubted whether NYC city council members could influence the federal government.

“Is Lincoln Restler really that powerful that Biden is going to listen to him?” one reporter asked with a sneer.

“When [elected officials] combine,” the mayor shot back, “if we have a complete city council delegation that joins with a complete state Senate and Assembly delegation, that would provide the symbolism and the urgency that we are facing. 

“[The migrant crisis] impacts all of their districts.”

The city’s metro reporters also were not doing their jobs by not going to Washington, DC, and asking federal officials why they are continuing to allow in all the immigrants.”

“You [the reporters] critique us when we should be critiqued, but you are not critiquing the national government at all,” the mayor pointed out. “Let’s critique the faucet because we are overflowing.”

Although the Biden administration has allowed the migrant rate to skyrocket, Fabien Levy, the deputy mayor for communications, pointed out the success of the creativity and tactics of the Adams administration, “157,000 people have come to NYC, he said. “We have helped more than 90,000 to go on take the next step in their journey, and 57% of migrants have moved on to the next location.”

“I hope the people in NYC are finally understanding,” said one deputy mayor. “We need help from the government upstate, the governor, and the federal government.”

“We are a municipality doing the federal government’s job. They need to do their jobs.

“Instead of pointing fingers at us, stand with us and let D.C. know, “You are derelict in your responsibilities. 

“Tell the governor that she needs to open up upstate to migrants.”