Mayor Adams Promotes Plan to Send Flood of NYC Migrants Upstate

By M.C. Millman

A desperate Mayor Eric Adams, who warned on Friday the influx of migrants to New York City could cost the beleaguered city up to $2 billion, is pressuring Governor Kathy Hochul to promote a plan to have upstate communities absorb some of the 40,200 plus migrants drowning NYC with more than just debt.

In return, Hochul ignored the suggestion and the problem in her fifty-minute State of the State address delivered on Tuesday, January 10. When pressed about the omission afterward, the governor declared the issue wasn't important outside New York City.

According to the New York Post, Adams suggested that spreading migrants around could provide a shot in the arm to "struggling" cities upstate.

"Some of our cities are suffering. They're losing populations," Adams told the NYP during his weekend visit to the southern border in El Paso, Texas, "But if this is done effectively, the dollars come in to support those who are helping migrants and asylum seekers to incentivize this help, we believe we can help those cities that are struggling, and at the same time, give people a good start in this country."

A mutual aid request was filed last week requesting Hochul shelter the migrants this weekend, saying the City is at its "breaking point" after more than 3,100 asylum seekers flooded New York City in the past week alone.

"This type of request, reserved only for dire emergencies," Adams says, "asks the State for support to shelter arriving asylum seekers as the City faces an immediate need for additional capacity. Our initial request is for shelter to accommodate 500 asylum seekers, but, as New York City continues to see numbers balloon, this estimate will increase as well."

So far, Hochul's spokesman declined to comment other than to refer back to remarks the governor shared with reporters saying she had spoken to Adams earlier that day.

"I told the mayor we will be continuing to help him. We've been helping him for many months and will continue to give him support," she said without providing any further details.