NYC Mayor Admits Migrant 'Crisis' Hitting City Threatens Public Safety

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says the record-setting influx of undocumented migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border could pose a threat to public safety as his city prepares for President Joe Biden's administration to lift COVID-era restrictions on illegal immigration this week.

Asked about the topic during a Monday press conference, Adams, the Democratic leader of the nation's largest city, told reporters he is willing to do whatever it takes to deal with the "crisis" level event as it ripples across the city, creating new strains on public services.

The mayor has already been battle-tested in his first term by political opponents in red states like Texas who have bussed tens of thousands of undocumented migrants into New York City over the last year.

"Every service we provide is going to be impacted by the influx of migrants in our city," Adams said. "It's going to impact education. It's going to impact the dollars we use to clean our streets. It's going to impact our public safety."

Facing projected annual costs of more than $1 billion related to asylum seekers, Adams issued an executive order in September refocusing all of the city's emergency services to attend to the influx while calling on both the state and federal government to commit additional financial resources to try and meet the demand for shelter and other services for the new arrivals, including humanitarian shelters and other services.

"This is a humanitarian crisis that started with violence and instability in South America and is being accelerated by American political dynamics," Adams said at the time. "Thousands of asylum seekers have been bused into New York City and simply dropped off, without notice, coordination, or care—and more are arriving every day. This crisis is not of our own making, but one that will affect everyone in this city."

Adams also suggested the possibility of reopening a controversial "tent city" that was assembled on Randall's Island earlier this year, which closed after significant outcry by immigrants' rights groups and members of the city council who described the site as "inadequate" due to its poor accessibility to city services and its exposure to the cold winds off the East River.

However, as the city continues to deal with a concurrent homelessness issue—as well as plans to remove those with severe mental illness from the city's streets and remit them to local hospitals—Adams says they may need to resort to difficult options.

Meanwhile, various state and federal leaders across the country are now bracing for the end of Title 42, a COVID-era measure that took effect under former President Donald Trump's administration, on Wednesday. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the order to block migrants at the U.S. border, including asylum seekers, from entering the country in order to stop the spread of the disease. The measure also allowed for quicker processing and deportation of undocumented migrants.

Critics said the health policy was being used as a blunt tool to prevent migration into the country and was subject to growing criticism for its continued existence after other COVID-19 measures were dropped.

"Nothing is off the table in dealing with a crisis. Nothing is off the table," Adams said Monday. "...But leadership is doing difficult things, and whatever I need to do to ensure that we are dealing with a crisis, I'm going to do it in a humane way. And so, if one wants to focus on Randall's Island, that's their right to do so. I need to focus on the totality of the crises that's about to hit our city, and I'm going to need to be prepared for that crisis. And I'm willing to do that."

Newsweek has contacted Adams' office for comment.