New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order on Wednesday to crack down on charter bus companies transporting illegal immigrants from Texas.
In an effort to manage the influx of illegal immigrants being transported from the southern U.S. border to Democrat-run sanctuary cities, the order mandates that charter bus companies must notify the city’s Emergency Management Office at least 32 hours before arriving in the city.
This comes after the mayors said buses have deposited illegal immigrants “in the middle of nowhere” and in the middle of the night, making it hard to provide immediate support. It also comes as New York City expects an additional 25,000 arrivals “in the coming days and weeks,” according to Mr. Adams.
Under the new rules, drop-off hours are restricted to a narrow window between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. daily. Their sole designated location for drop-offs is on West 41st Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Manhattan.
Mr. Adams emphasized the importance of these measures during a virtual press conference with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.
“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning any hour of day and night. This not only prevents us from providing assistance in an orderly way, but it puts those who have already suffered so much in danger,” Mr. Adams said.
Failure to comply with the new regulations could result in severe consequences, including class B misdemeanor charges, fines, lawsuits, and the impoundment of buses, according to Mr. Adams.
14 Buses in Single Day
Mr. Adams’ decision comes on the heels of a record 14 buses filled with illegal immigrants arriving in the city from Texas in a single day last week.Mr. Johnson has called Texax Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing program “reckless” and unsafe, saying that some “rogue buses” have dropped off arrivals “in the middle of nowhere” at least 90 minutes outside of Chicago.
“Buses sent by the governor of Texas literally dropping families off in the middle of nowhere. These families have experienced a great deal of political turmoil, trekking hundreds of thousands of miles to get to the border without real care, without real processing, and without a system in place to address this crisis,” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Adams revealed that on Tuesday night, five buses carrying illegal immigrants arrived in New York City at around 1 a.m. from Philadelphia after a flight was diverted due to fog from El Paso, Texas.
The criminal charges Mr. Adams referenced would be for the violation of a local executive order, classified as a class B misdemeanor. Individuals could face imprisonment of up to three months and fines of up to $500, while corporations could be fined up to $2,000.
Mr. Adams clarified that his order was not to stop illegal immigrants from coming to New York City, “but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated manner.”
City officials disclosed that over 161,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the five boroughs since the start of the crisis in the spring of 2022.
More than 68,000 remain in city care, city officials said Tuesday.
Mr. Adams, along with other Democratic mayors in a joint call, renewed their pleas for federal intervention and criticized Mr. Abbott for sending over 80,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities across the country since last year.
“I’m proud to be here with my fellow mayors to call on the federal government to do their part with one voice and to tell Texas Governor Abbott to stop the games and use of migrants as potential political pawns,” Mr. Adams said.
