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2 migrant buses arrive in NYC early Friday despite new Adams executive order

Published  December 29, 2023 12:49pm EST
FOX 5 NY

Concerns regarding Adams' executive order for migrants

There are new concerns that Mayor Adams' latest executive order will mean that migrants will start getting dropped off in the suburbs. FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay reports.

Two more buses carrying migrants arrived early Friday morning at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, despite a new executive order from New York City Mayor Eric Adams targeting the influx of bus arrivals.

Adams's executive order, signed Wednesday afternoon, requires charter buses transporting migrants to give the city at least 32 hours advance notice.

Friday's buses arrived at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., even though the order also sets perimeters around dropoffs: between 8:30 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday at one designated spot within PABT.

A bus carrying migrants arrives at Port Authority Bus Terminal early Friday morning.

There is a 32-hour grace period, however, so the buses on Friday morning will likely not face any penalties. 

But Lisa Zornberg, chief counsel at City Hall,  said the Adams administration is serious about enforcing these new rules.

"Those who knowingly violate it do so at their own peril," Zornberg said. 

NYC migrant crisis drags on

New York City says more than 150,000 migrants have passed through the city's shelter system since last spring, with over 67,000 migrants currently in the city's care as it continues to plead for more federal assistance as it truggles to deal with the migrant crisis.

If these buses carrying migrants arrive outside this time frame and with no advance notice, the operators could be charged with Class B misdemeanors, possible fines, lawsuits, and their buses could be impounded.

"The NYPD has a variety of tools at their disposal, including seizure of evidence and impounding of evidence, but this is going to be treated like any other law," Zornberg added. 

This comes after 14 buses arrived in just one day last week – breaking the previous record. And more than 7,200 migrants arrived here in the city in just the last two weeks, many of them sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott according to City Hall. 

The Legal Aid Society said they agree that better coordination is needed but are worried that this could lead to some migrants being dropped off in random areas. 

"We don't want any other extreme issues that could occur, such as bus drivers dropping people in unsafe places," said Stephanie Rudolph, an attorney with Legal Aid. "But overall, we understand wanting the city to have a little bit more communication around arrivals."

Mayor Adams cornered by ongoing migrant crisis

Mayor Adams talks budget cuts, congestion pricing, the migrant crisis, and the city council vote on solitary confinement.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said his administration has already implemented a similar policy, and this prompted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to pivot and send migrants to the suburbs surrounding the city. 

The Adams administration said they are aware that something similar could happen here in New York and are urging counties like Westchester to issue their own executive orders to limit buses carrying migrants. 

They will be having a conversation with surrounding states like New Jersey as well. 

"It is not our intention to shift any burdens," said Camille Joseph Varlack, the mayor’s chief of staff. "But we have no idea. It's quite frankly unpredictable."

The Adams administration also mentioned that they had reached out to Abbott about a year ago on this migrant issue and sending buses – but Abbott did not respond.