NEW YORK (NewsNation) — New York City is conducting another canvassing campaign aimed at discouraging migrants and asylum seekers from relocating there.
Officials in New York City dissuade arrival, citing the city’s high cost and the absence of guaranteed hotel rooms or shelter placement.
“We want people to know what New York City is able to provide and what New York City isn’t able to provide any longer,” said New York City Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom.
Advocates argue this isn’t true, as New York’s “Right to Shelter” law explicitly mandates that the city must offer free shelter to anyone requesting it.
The flyers are set to be distributed at shelters and nonprofit organizations nationwide, including the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
One of the messages on these flyers warns migrants that New York City is among the most expensive cities globally and suggests considering more affordable alternatives. Additionally, the flyers make it clear that migrants arriving in the city will not receive hotel accommodation.
“We know there are people in our shelters that are telling their family members to come to NYC and that they will get housing and they’ll be able to stay with them. That has never been the case and we want to be clear to people that New York City is out of space,” Williams-Isom said.
Since spring 2022, 115,000 asylum seekers and migrants have undergone the intake process. This marks the second time the city has used flyers to discourage migrants from arriving.
In July, the mayor’s administration distributed flyers at the border, cautioning migrants about the absence of guaranteed shelter placement in New York. However, it proved ineffective, as 10,000 migrants continue to arrive in the city each month.
Currently, the city’s shelter system accommodates 113,000 people, with more than 60,000 of them being migrants.
“We definitely do want to discourage from coming here so we can deal with the 113,000 people that are in our system right now,” Williams-Isom said.
In July, 13,000 adult migrants without children were informed that they would have to seek alternative housing or reapply for placement in another shelter. The shelter evictions were slated to start Sept. 22; however, the city said only a few hundred people were removed.
“Due to the help we’ve given them over the past 60 days, they were able to take their next step forward, exit our system, and not need to reenter for another placement,” said Dr. Ted Long.
So far, New York City has spent more than $2 billion caring for migrants.
Mayor Eric Adams continues to request state and federal funding. He said without that finding, the migrant crisis would “destroy” the city.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has taken responsibility for busing 15,000 migrants to New York City since 2020, praised Adams and New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul for pressing President Joe Biden to do something to address the influx of migrants at the border.
Adams strongly criticizes Abbott, labeling him as a madman for continuing to send migrants to New York despite the city’s ongoing crisis.
